


Beautiful Tragedy

by Stormraven24



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Hurt, Romance, Self-Discovery, Star-crossed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-04
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2017-12-10 09:44:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 60,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/784647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormraven24/pseuds/Stormraven24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Obi-Wan gets an unexpected visitor, one that he'd seen die with his own eyes. Their meetings are kept secret, but nothing stays hidden in the Jedi Temple for long.</p><p>My aim with this fic is to combine the events in the comics (esp. "Obsession") and the TV series into one timeline while possibly leading into "Revenge of the Sith" (if I can make it that far).</p><p>Title is from the song of the same name by In This Moment (I thought it appropriate). Mature rating is for later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Obi-Wan had been granted a two-week reprieve from the tiresome business of war, but his respite was anything but peaceful. His dreams were haunted by a shadow, a dark presence he’d sensed before but couldn’t place. The first few nights he’d simply attributed the discomfort to the delayed absorption of the horrors of war, all culminating in one great wave. He’d tried several times to stave off sleep after that, reciting mantras and utilizing meditation techniques he hadn’t used in months. His body, however, refused to heed him and he often awoke with no memory of falling asleep. Always he’d sense that same shadow, always fleeing before waking. It didn’t belong, and yet it did. It was malevolent, and yet it meant him no harm. He was very close to consulting Master Yoda on the matter when he learned the truth.

~~

She’d kept an eye on him for weeks, even before he’d been granted temporary leave from the front lines of the senseless war that raged throughout the galaxy without end. She had nothing else to do, nowhere else to go. Her master had abandoned her and left her for dead. Her sisters had been massacred. Everyone and everything she had ever felt the slightest bit of affection for was long gone. There was nothing left for her.

But then she remembered this man she now observed from the shadows of his apartment in the Jedi Temple. This man who had comforted her in her supposed final moments despite their violent past. This man who had tried so hard to turn her soul to the Light until the very end. This man who had haunted her thoughts and dreams for years for various reasons. She had so many questions and she was sure he was the only one could answer them.

She tried every night to gather her courage to shake him awake and demand answers. She tried every dawn to leave him be, to never return to the Temple and simply work out everything on her own. She failed each time.

There was something different about tonight, however. Perhaps she was just tired of living in a constant state of confusion and exhaustion. Perhaps she was just too tired to care about much of anything anymore. She remained still as stone as the storm raged outside, thunder and lightning dancing together in an unheeded duet. Her focus was solely on the sleeping Jedi Knight just a few feet from where she sat in his chair. He stirred uneasily as the thunder intensified, a booming clap rattling the windows and jolting him from his slumber. She was unmoved by the suddenness. She sat with an air of arrogant disinterest, but her heart and mind roiled with anxiety as she quickly thought over what she should do now.

All thought of a playful taunt or condescending innuendo froze on her lips when his eyes locked on hers.

~~

Obi-Wan didn’t say anything for a moment. He couldn’t. Everything suddenly made sense; why he couldn’t sleep peacefully, why he’d felt as if something was just out of his reach. He should have known that _she_ had something to do with it. He’d thought himself safe in the Temple, securely locked away from the war and anyone who sought his death. But here she was, just beyond arm’s reach. She looked at him as if seeing him for the first time, her head titled slightly to one side, arms and legs crossed. It was her eyes that struck him the most. “Ventress,” he whispered above the falling rain. “Wh-“

“Why am I here?” she finished for him. “That’s a good question.” He didn’t miss how hollow her voice was, nor the lack of spite in her tone. “Why _am_ I here?”

He subconsciously reached for his lightsaber, but stilled his hand when the full impact of her words hit him. Something was wrong. “I saw you die…”

The former assassin lowered her eyes almost shyly. “I suppose I did, in a way.” She was quiet for a moment, then snapped her head back up to look at him with unabashed confusion and fear. “ _Why am I here?_ ”

“I don’t understand…”

She stood abruptly and began pacing. Something was _very_ wrong. “Why, after everything that’s happened, everything I’ve done to you and you to me, _why_ did I seek you out of all people?” Obi-Wan remained silent as she continued to rant. She seemed to be going through some sort of breakdown and needed to release several years’ worth of anger and frustration. “I was a Sith apprentice. I _was_ Sith! I’ve hated you from the moment we met. I’m supposed to hate you! So why do I continue to come here, to think that there would be some solace here for me? Why did you try so hard to find me? Why did you stay with me when I ‘died’? Why, after all I’ve done, did you show me compassion and comfort? What have I done to deserve that from _you_?!” She slammed her hands against the windowsill and went silent.  
The Jedi was still trying to process everything she’d said when he noticed how utterly defeated she looked. Her head hung low, her breath was sharp, and her voice had broken on her last word. No longer half-shrouded with sleep, he saw now just how confused and lost she truly was. Everything had been taken from her since childhood; her parents, her first master whom she’d loved like a father, and now Dooku had not only abandoned her but had ordered her execution. Her innocence had been cruelly stamped out in her youth and had never been given the opportunity to grow again. But now she was free from all connection to the Sith and the Jedi. Or so she had thought. 

Obi-Wan stood and slowly approached her, noting the tenseness of her spine and the tremble in her arms. Dangerous she always was, but now in her pain she was even more so. He let only the barest tendril of his Force signature reach out to her, a cautious attempt to break through the dark shadow that still lingered about her. She didn’t recoil, which was a good sign, but she was as still as a vine cat about to pounce. He took a chance and lifted his hand to her shoulder. “Asajj…”

“Don’t call me that!” she snapped suddenly, turning away from him quick as lightning. Her hands went to her face to wipe away the tears he knew had been falling.

He tried again. “Asajj.” No objection that time. “Asajj, you came to me for help, but I don’t know what you’re expecting of me. What can I do?”

A harsh bark of laughter. “If I knew the answer to that I wouldn’t be here, Kenobi.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, darling.”

“ _Nothing_ does! Don’t you get that?” She whirled on him, her tearful eyes burning with frustration. “I’m supposed to hate everything about you. I’m supposed to want nothing more than to kill you on sight! So…why don’t I?” Even if Obi-Wan had been expecting that answer he still couldn’t have concealed his shock. Asajj took advantage of his silence and pressed onward before she lost her nerve to express everything that had been building up inside of her for years. “In the past, before…everything happened, I looked at you and saw only an adversary, the personification of the Jedi Order and everything I loathe about it. At first I wanted you dead, but then you got away. Annoying as it was, I was grateful I didn’t kill you then. You were too much fun. Somewhere along the way, something changed. I didn’t just hate you because of your irritating condescension or your penchant for escaping me. I hated you because I saw in you everything I could have been, everything I _should_ have been had my master not been killed.”

“You could still become a Jedi, Asajj,” he whispered hopefully. “That path is not closed to you, despite your past.”

“You think I want to be a Jedi now? You think I want to become one of the arrogant ‘peacekeepers’ who abandoned my master?” The hardness that had been her characteristic for so long had returned to her voice, but it was not as solid as it once was. “I see now just how far your precious Order has fallen. You just can’t see it yourself.”

“I thought I was everything you hated about the Order.”

“You are! You _were_.” She turned away again, one hand pressing against her temple as if staving off a headache. “I don’t know anymore.” She was quiet for a moment, the thunder outside losing its strength as the storm rolled into the distance. Her next words were so soft he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly: “Maybe…you understand me. Everyone else just saw an enemy to be neutralized. But you saw through that from day one. Maybe that’s why I was always irritated with you: you saw through my mask when I didn’t want anyone to.” Obi-Wan resisted the urge to take a step back when she looked at him; the sadness and hope in her eyes were almost too much for him to bear seeing in her. “Was that why you fought so hard to bring me to the Light? Why you stayed with me on Boz Pity?”

The Knight could not respond immediately. His desire to see her redeemed had indeed been a major reason for his obsession with her towards the end, but there had always been something more to it than just that. Something that bubbled just beneath the surface like molten lava under a thin veneer of rock. He’d refused to give it a name, for to name it would make it real.

He tried to answer her, but it was then that he noticed the scars on her arm. They marked the places that Dooku had outfitted her with cybernetics. He lifted his hand to touch them out of morbid curiosity, but stopped when she flinched. “What happened here?” he said instead, his voice a low whisper in the dark.

“Mother Talzin,” Asajj replied with an equally low tone. She looked down at the pale blemishes, her eyes taking on a faraway look. “She and the Nightsisters removed the implants after Dooku abandoned me. I had only just recovered from the procedure when Grievous massacred them.” She said this with such disconnect and plainness that Obi-Wan began to worry all over again. “And I…well, I ran. I seem to be doing that a lot lately.” She shuddered and grasped her scarred arm, looking away as if avoiding the harsh truth she had just seconds ago admitted.

“Asajj, have you properly grieved for them yet, Mother Talzin and your Sisters?” Her silence and hardened expression was all the answer he needed. “It’s no sin to mourn for the loss of loved ones.”

She snorted disdainfully at such an easy, simple statement. “And what would a Jedi know of grief? Isn’t that against your precious Code?”

Obi-Wan took offense to that. He had lost many friends, teachers, and brothers-in-arms to the war, along with the few he had inadvertently fallen in love with. He knew perfectly well what grief was and how devastating it could be. “It may surprise you to know that I’m not completely without emotion, dearest. When my master died…” He looked away when she turned conflicted eyes towards him. “It was the first time I’d truly felt the pull of the Dark Side. Had he not assigned me with training Anakin as a Jedi, I very easily could have fallen to my despair and anger.”

“And that is where we differ, my darling Obi-Wan.” He turned back at the slight mocking in her voice. “My master’s death was what sent me into the Dark. I had no one to tell me what to do otherwise.”

“You could have thought about what your master would have thought had he seen how you’d reacted to his death.”

“I was a child! I had just watched the only person who had treated me with kindness, the only father I had ever known die in front of me! What was I supposed to do?”

Obi-Wan took a deep breath to calm his surging emotions; she always managed to have that effect on him. He didn’t want to argue, not when she was in such a fragile state, not when he was still exhausted from sleepless nights and haunting nightmares. “Let’s not do this, Asajj.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“It’s your name, isn’t it? ‘Ventress’ is not who you are now. She was someone who was so lost in her own anguish and bitterness that she didn’t care who she hurt or killed.” He stepped forward and put his hands on her bare shoulders, ignoring her half-hearted attempt to evade him. “I can see that ‘Ventress’ is gone now. She died on Boz Pity. Right now and, I hope, forevermore you are ‘Asajj’.”

His words and the warmth of his touch found their way inside her cracked defenses. Her eyes shone with unshed tears in the dim light, the thunder and lightning having long since departed to allow the artificial light from the surrounding spacescrapers and advertscreens to reign once again. “How can you be so certain of that? How do you know I’m not tricking you right now?”

“Because there is no lie in your eyes, darling.” He brushed his thumb over one pale cheek as if to prove his point. “And because I have faith in you.”

That was all it took for the tears to fall. No one other than Ky and Mother Talzin had ever truly believed in her (and even Talzin’s faith had more often than not been debatable). Dooku had seen her as nothing more than a shadow and a lapdog; she knew that now. Her hatred of the Jedi had driven her to accept his promise to train her in the Sith arts, and while he had done so he had never intended to induct her into the Sith Order (if there even was such a thing). He had used her just like everyone else in her life. She was no saint either, but at least she’d been mildly conflicted about her treatment of others.

Asajj didn’t remember falling against her longtime enemy, nor when he had enveloped her in his arms as she sobbed out a lifetime’s worth of pain and betrayal. All she knew was that his warmth was her balm, his soft words her comfort. For once she didn’t fear showing momentary weakness. This man wouldn’t use it against her, not like this, not this kind of pain.

Obi-Wan held her until her tears slowed and her choking sobs quieted. She had fallen asleep against him. She had been so mentally and emotionally drained that her body had simply shut down. Not that he could blame her, all things considered. Without a second though he lifted her into his arms and gently laid her on his bed; a chair or the floor would hardly be the least comfortable place he’d ever slept. The Force only knew what she had called a bed in the months since he’d last seen her, so he was more than willing to let her have it for the night. 

Of course, she would have to let go of him before he could move to either location.

She was most certainly asleep (he could feel it in her Force signature as well as see it as plain as day on her face), but her grip was as strong as ever. Her arms refused to loosen from around his neck, and he feared if he struggled she might wake. Letting out a sigh of endearment, he took the moment to study her, to really _see_ her. 

She seemed thinner than she had been on Boz Pity, something that mildly alarmed him given her already slender physique. Her skin held an abnormally grayish tone, her eyes appeared sunken, and her brow held a permanent furrow deeper than he’d ever seen. And of course the scars. Dooku’s cybernetic implants had been extensive and their removal certainly had to have been excruciating. He suppressed a shudder at the thought.

 _Well, I certainly can’t stay like this all night._ Taking care not to jostle his unexpected companion, Obi-Wan settled onto the thin mattress at her side. Although he would never admit it aloud, he was quite pleased when she instinctively moved closer to him. With the weight of her arms around his neck and the gentle rhythm of her breath lulling his mind into a haze, the Jedi slept contentedly for the first time in weeks.


	2. 2

Obi-Wan woke before Asajj, momentarily startled by her presence in his bed until he recalled the previous night. Her arms were still around his shoulders, but had loosened their death grip while she slept. She had moved closer to him during the night and thrown one leg over his as if to keep him in place. He had to admit there were certainly worse things to wake up to.

He was about to extricate himself from her embrace (he was sure she wouldn’t feel the same about it as he did) when something stopped him. It was her face. The shadows beneath her eyes were still there, but her forehead had smoothed over and her dark lips were no longer turned down in her trademark scowl. She looked…peaceful. He couldn’t recall seeing her so serene before; she was always either enraged, calculatingly seductive, or lost. He quickly decided he liked this current expression the most.

A slant of light through the small window brought him back to his present situation. Here he was with a war criminal, former Dark Acolyte, and current bounty hunter in his bed. In the Jedi Temple. He’d been so surprised by her appearance last night that he’d never even thought to ask how she’d gotten inside without being spotted. Well, that was neither here nor there at the moment.

The Jedi let out an exasperated sigh, then gently (VERY gently) removed her leg and arms from around him so he could stand, his eyes lingering for a moment on the scars on her arm. He couldn’t imagine the physical and emotional pain she had endured to acquire those scars. He half-hoped that one day she would share that burden, if not with him than with someone she could trust. He knew all too well what it felt like to keep something so traumatic bottled up with no reliable outlet. If left unresolved, it could destroy her from the inside out, just as everything she had once done in the name of the Sith did.

Obi-Wan shook his head clear of such thoughts. Asajj was no longer that perpetually-lost, heartbroken assassin. She had turned back to the Light and he was certain that, with the right guidance, she would never again fall victim to the Dark Side’s temptations. Whether he was the right person for that job was another matter entirely.

He hadn’t eaten in what felt like days, and he was sure Asajj hadn’t seen a decent meal in quite some time either. If no one knew she was here, she would be safe for a few moments while he went to the dining hall. After he dressed, making sure his lightsaber was hooked on his belt and his guest remained unmoved, he stepped out into the hall and made his way to the dining hall.

Looking over the selection before him he realized he had no idea what she liked. Was she fond of sweet things? Was she allergic to anything that was harmless to him? Did she prefer meat or vegetables? Raw or cooked? He had stood unmoving in front of a platter of various fruits, his brow furrowed in deep thought, when he was startled by the presence of another.

“I did not realize that choosing between a manta pear or chee-chee berries was so concerning a dilemma, Master Obi-Wan,” came the cheerful voice to his right. “Apologies, my friend. I did not mean to surprise you so.”

Obi-Wan offered a laugh and a replying apology. “No, no. It’s my fault. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“Anything you would care to share?”

“No, no. Nothing I can’t handle.” He wasn’t so confident in that assessment, but Kit would press the matter until he forced the truth out of him if he didn’t cut him off at the pass.

“And these matters require you to eat your body weight in food in one sitting?”

The Nautolan gestured to the pile of food Obi-Wan had heaped onto his platter. He wasn’t even aware of putting the majority of it there. Once he made sure his guest had eaten he planned to spend the remainder of the day (and possibly night) in deep meditation. This wasn’t like him to be so distracted. He realized he had retreated into his thoughts again when he felt a gentle nudge through the Force. Kit was still staring at him with those unblinking, infinite eyes. “I…am preparing for a long period of meditation, Master.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

“Do you plan to leave your quarters at all in the next three days?”

Kit always had a way of phrasing and intoning his words so that one could not help but smile no matter what he said. He could have announced his decision to become a Sith Lord and annihilate the Jedi Order and everyone would have smiled and wished him well on his endeavor.  Even now Obi-Wan couldn’t help the way the corners of his lips twitched up. “If that’s as long as it takes to resolve the issue. Don’t worry about me. It’s just a minor issue that I hope to resolve very shortly.” Kit didn’t look convinced. Even Obi-Wan wasn’t convinced. But he didn’t have time to continue to dance around the truth with his friend; if Asajj awoke before he returned and ventured out into the Temple…

Obi-Wan shoved all such thought from his mind and hurriedly, but politely, excused himself from Master Fisto, his platter of food in both hands. He pointedly ignored the strange looks he got as he hurried back to his quarters, most assuredly looking even more suspicious for it. This wasn’t like him. He didn’t like keeping secrets, especially ones that involved someone in his bed who was very easily recognized by anyone in the Temple should she leave the room. A knot formed in his chest and only grew bigger the closer he got to his residence. Even now that he’d had time to think on his…their current situation he was still no closer to an answer than he had been last night. _Perhaps three days in isolated meditation is exactly what I need,_ the more sardonic part of his mind whispered.

It wasn’t until he set the plate down on his small table that he realized he’d already entered his quarters. _This constant distraction really will not do._ He needed to be clear-headed before he was sent back to the front lines next week, not inadvertently drifting into thought about the emotionally broken Rattataki woman in his bed.

_Something’s not right._ Actually, everything was entirely alright…which was not right given what he’d expected. The reason he hadn’t been aware of returning to his rooms was simple: it _felt_ the same as it always did. He searched through the Force but found himself alone. His eyes confirmed what his soul already knew when he looked into his bedroom.

Asajj was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

The following days passed without incident for Obi-Wan, a fact that only added to his anxiety. He had meant to seclude himself in meditation over Asajj’s “resurrection” until an answer presented itself to him, but the Force was not so forthcoming. Only silence and emptiness met him when he sank into his trances. Apparently he was meant to suffer this dilemma on his own. Was he meant to simply let the incident go, accept it as a desperate, one-time plea for solace? Wait for her to reappear if she so chose? Pursue her in hopes of…well, he didn’t quite know what. Neither sleep nor meditation came easily to him

It was on the third night since his visitor’s disappearing act that the Force nudged him with a familiar presence.

He had lain in bed for hours, sleep once again eluding him. Although his back was to his window, he was instantly alert the moment she passed silently into his room but continued to feign sleep. He let her Force signature wash over him for a moment, oddly content to feel that it had lost some of its despair though none of its confusion. Waiting for her to make the first move, he listened to her bodysuit creak slightly as she paced (her footfalls themselves were silent). Seconds stretched into minutes and still she hadn’t said a word. He debated whether or not to break the silence himself, but was saved from making a decision when her voice, breathy, low, and so full of self-loathing floated to his ears. “This was a mistake.”

He heard one boot land on the window’s edge. She was going to leave after breaking into his private quarters in the Jedi Temple (again) without even saying ‘hello’? Well, that simply wouldn’t do. “One cannot run forever, my dear,” he said lightly before turning onto his back to face her.

Asajj had frozen as if suddenly encased in carbonite. Only her eyes moved, darting around as she tried to think of what to do; the urge to flee had only momentarily grown stronger than ever, but faded as soon as his words sank in. A tense moment passed before she very slightly tilted her head towards him, still avoiding making eye contact. “Maybe I like running. Good for the legs.”

“Until you realize that you cannot outrun yourself.” Obi-Wan raised himself onto his elbows when she still didn’t move except to look away from him. “You know, it’s impolite to not call the next day after you’ve shared a bed with someone.”

“What?” she said, her head turning sharply towards him, a slight blush creeping across her face. He was about to make some sly comment about it when his eye caught something shiny: a string of jewels the color of the Naboo sky dangled from her right ear. That was new… “What are you staring at?”

He almost smiled at the bite in her voice. _There’s the Asajj I know._ “That’s new.” He pointed to the earring which she now covered with one hand as she looked away, her blush spreading. Was that…shyness? “Mind if I inquire how it came to grace your ear?”

“Yes.” And just like that the almost-innocent bashfulness evaporated.

“Surely such a small request isn’t too much to ask.”

Asajj crossed her arms over her chest as her expression hardened. “That story isn’t for your ears, Kenobi. So drop it.”

_So much for a normal conversation._  Silence became like a physical wall between them once again, Asajj unwilling to venture into unfamiliar territory, Obi-Wan unsure of how to proceed. At least she wasn’t ready to jump out the window anymore. “Well then, may I at least ask why you’ve broken into my room…again?”

She huffed and resumed her pacing, albeit slower than before when she thought he’d been asleep. “Three days and I still don’t have the answer to that question. It’s infuriating.”

“I think you just like my soothing company.”

He noted how her lips quirked up ever so slightly. “Still so full of yourself, Kenobi. At least one thing in my life remains unchanged.” She whispered the last part almost as if to herself.

Obi-Wan caught it anyway. “I do try, my dear.”

That quirk turned into a small smile. _It’s a start, at least._ “I know you do.”

The tension had eased somewhat, but there was still one question the Knight was most curious about. “How _did_ you get in here? The Temple isn’t exactly lax on security.”

She shot him a coy look, one that said ‘you poor ignorant fool’. “You would think, wouldn’t you. I still have some tricks up my sleeve, my dear. Why ruin the mystery?”

He almost laughed in response. “Point taken.” Silence. He surreptitiously admired the strand of jewels hanging from her ear, but although she had gained something new something old was conspicuously missing from her attire. “Where are your lightsabers?”

She shrugged, a gesture that was somehow elegant yet simultaneously dismissive. “Never got them back after Skywalker’s little pet’s ‘friend’ stole them.”

“How have you managed without them?”

Her gaze was hard as she met his eyes once more. “I’ve managed.” She looked away to the window again. “I’m not as weak as you like to think.”

“I never said you were, darling.” _Well, this is going nowhere fast._ “You’re welcome to sit down if you like.”

“I’ll stand.”

“So you can run off again in the blink of an eye?” She gave no answer, but her stiffening back told him he had hit a little too close to home. “What I mean is I’ve not had anyone to talk to of late. Well, no one as fascinating as you, dearest.” He caught her little eyeroll; at least the tension had eased up a bit. And he truly was craving some kind of company. He’d been around the Jedi long enough to know all of their stories, all of their strengths and shortcomings, all of their deeds and misadventures. But he’d only seen a glimpse of hers. He knew the basic story of her origin, how her Master had died right in front of her and the crushing loneliness and helplessness she had felt then had driven her into the arms of the Dark Side. How she had turned every heartbreak and loss into durasteel that hardened her anger and rage at the universe for cursing her with such a fate. But he didn’t know _her._ She was the one he could never entirely figure out. And now she was here, desperate for something she thought he could give but not knowing what exactly it was she wanted.

Perhaps all she really wanted, all she truly needed right now was someone to listen to her.

“I will give you that, Kenobi,” she said suddenly. “I am a font of riveting tales of bravery and heroism.”

“I was being serious, Asajj.”

“Why is it so important to you to know every facet of my life?” She’d meant for that to come out angry, but all she could manage was weary.

Obi-Wan sighed in frustration. She really wasn’t going to make this easy on either of them. “Forgive me for simply wanting to offer you a respite from all the pain and sorrow you’ve been bottling up all your life. If you’d rather wallow in your misery, then by all means. But please do it somewhere else.” As if closing the door on the situation, he turned his back on her. He knew he was being childish, but no more so than she was. If she wanted to continue being evasive when he was doing nothing but trying to help, then she could leave him to his sleep.

Asajj shouldn’t have been so hurt by his dismissal; she’d been rejected, abandoned, and ignored by most everyone else in her life. She should be used to it by now. But there it was, right in the center of her chest. That damn knot that pressed on her lungs and heart until she could hardly breathe. _Not again. Not him. Not again,_ her mind whispered urgently. Obi-Wan was the only one who’d ever attempted to understand her; even now when she was more confused by her own emotions than ever he still tried to be the hero. It was an irritating quality that she had begun to find endearing, much to her chagrin. She knew she was irredeemable, but he stubbornly held out hope for her, which in turn made her want desperately to believe it as well.

She knew she was being difficult, especially since was the one who initiated this whole damn mess. If she had just stayed away from Coruscant altogether she wouldn’t have to face him nor her demons. But she couldn’t stay away. Not when the only other person she had any kind of relationship with (as twisted and warped as it was) was so close. His aura in the Force drew her in, promising a safe haven that she’d never had the privilege of since Master Narec’s death. As much as a part of her wanted to deny to it, she did indeed feel safe around Obi-Wan. It didn’t hurt that since she was no longer on the opposing side (well, not entirely since she was neither with the Republic or the Jedi) they were no longer forced to try to kill each other whenever they crossed paths.

She had come to him for a reason, even if she didn’t want to admit it. He had been more than hospitable, and she was doing nothing but slighting his every attempt to help her. She stared at his back for a moment more, then rubbed her arm self-consciously before moving to sit on the edge of the chair she had occupied only three days earlier. “The earring was payment for a bounty I collected the other day.” Obi-Wan half-turned to look at her over his shoulder. “A woman’s son had been kidnapped by his estranged father. She didn’t trust the police to catch him, so she hired me. When I brought her son back to her, she was so grateful she paid me my fee and gave me the earring. A treasured family heirloom, she said. It was the most important and valuable thing she owned, but her son was more precious.” Her unwitting host had now turned to fully face her, studying her. She averted her eyes from his scrutiny, focusing instead on telling her story. “I couldn’t refuse it when I saw how much it meant to her to give it to me.”

“How did you find the boy?” Obi-Wan whispered. He was half-afraid that if he spoke the moment would shatter and she would close herself off again.

“His father wasn’t exactly a master of kidnapping. His trail was insultingly easy to follow.”

“Did you kill him?”

A legitimate enough question given her history. “No. But he won’t be in any shape to try to get revenge on either me or his ex-wife anytime soon.”

Obi-Wan’s laugh startled her out of her thoughts. It was… nice. The knot that had formed in her chest had loosened at the sound until it disappeared entirely. “I would expect nothing less from you, darling.”

Asajj couldn’t help it: she returned the laugh. For the first time in a very long time she felt genuine contentment. She knew it wouldn’t last, but better to enjoy what little she did have while she could.


	4. Chapter 4

What had begun as a not entirely unpleasant surprise visit had become their routine. Every night after the sun had set on the Jedi Temple, Asajj would slip through his window, her silent arrival unnoticed by all but the Jedi meditating at the foot of his bed. Sometimes she would join him on the floor, but not in meditation. Not a word would be spoken; anyone who happened to see them would think that Obi-Wan was blissfully ignorant of her presence. But he was indeed very much aware. He would remain silent and unmoving while she studied him; he found her scrutiny oddly comforting, probably because he could feel how calm and at ease she was through the Force when she observed him. It was such a small thing to concede and anything that helped put her mind at peace was a step he was willing to take.

When the silence would finally break, they would talk. Asajj had been reluctant to talk very much about herself in the beginning, so Obi-Wan did most of the talking. While she would help herself to the food he would bring for her (mostly fruits and buts that he could easily conceal in the folds of his robe), he would tell her about his time as a Padawan under the tutelage of Qui-Gon Jinn. At first she would seem to only listen halfheartedly, but then she would ask questions. What did Qui-Gon look like? Was he a good Master? Did Obi-Wan learn his flippancy and “humorless wit” (as she playfully called it) from him? The questions had become more frequent and curious with each passing night. But more than that, she steadily grew more physically at ease.

On her third visit, the first after she had revealed the origin of the single earring she still wore, she had kept herself as far from him as possible. But each time she stole into the Temple she allowed the space between them to shrink. The first time Obi-Wan touched her since the long-time tension had finally broken she’d flinched, but allowed him to continue examining the scars that dotted her arm. “They still look painful,” he’d said plaintively.

“Not anymore.” His concern had truly touched her, but she’d be damned before she let him know that. Although he was being incredibly gentle, his fingers on her skin had quickly become unbearable; only one other person had ever looked at her with such compassion, and the thought had torn open the wound in her heart yet again. She’d pulled her arm away and quickly put some distance between them. She didn’t deserve any compassion or sympathy from anyone anymore, let alone this man (although that didn’t stop her from craving such kindness). She’d responded with the only way she’d ever known how to deal with emotions: anger. “I don’t want your pity, Kenobi. So keep your Jedi sympathies to yourself.” He’d backed off, a touch of sadness on his face. Asajj had mentally kicked herself for falling back into old habits. The rest of the night had passed amicably enough, Obi-Wan telling her of Master Fisto’s latest exploits, but the tension had come back.

Until the following night when she’d returned with a small half-smile and a sarcastic greeting on her lips.

That was how it went for a while, each meeting punctuated with by the proverbial two-steps-forward-one-step-back dance they’d turned into an art form. Halfway through Obi-Wan’s final week of hiatus had seen Asajj tentatively perched on the edge of his bed only to find herself stretched out in front of him, foot to head, by dawn.

The next night, she had done the unthinkable: she’d curled up at his side and drawn his arm across her waist, a move that had stunned the Jedi into uncharacteristic silence. “If I’d known it was this easy to shut you up I’d have tried it a long time ago,” she’d quipped with a laugh that only barely trembled in anxiousness. She had made a bold move in the dejarik game that had become their peculiar relationship, and she waited for him to push her away in disgust. But he never did. In fact, he hadn’t mentioned the oddness of it or even offered a witty remark. He simply let it be. He could feel her soul crying out for sanctuary ( _I just want to feel safe, just for a moment._ ). If simple closeness was what would help keep her from retreating back into her hardened shell, then so be it. Being a “bleeding heart” as she called him, he simply gathered her into his arms and accepted it.

He told her of one particularly embarrassing incident as a Padawan when he had inadvertently insulted the ruler of Naxom V, an Outer Rim planet with a fledgling democracy hoping to become part of the Republic Senate. “This child came up to me,” he said, Asajj flush against his side, “and asked… _demanded_ , actually, to know who I was. I said I was a Jedi and waiting for the king of Naxom to show up so that Qui-Gon and I could negotiate a treaty between the planet and the Republic. I said, ‘Why don’t you find your parents and leave the politics to the adults, young lady.’ Qui-Gon just stared at me as if I’d suddenly grown a second head. How was I supposed to know that the child was actually a boy and the Crown King of Naxom V?” He paused when he felt Asajj shaking beside him, her head turned down on his shoulder and one hand over her mouth. “I’m glad you find it so amusing, Asajj. Qui-Gon certainly didn’t.”

That only made her laugh harder. Although embarrassed by the memory, Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile. He’d never heard her laugh with such innocence, such genuine mirth. In that moment he made a small promise to himself: to make her laugh like that again at least once, even if it was once again at his expense. “I don’t know why I’m laughing so hard,” she gasped between breaths. “It’s really not that funny!” Obi-Wan stayed quiet, the small smile still on his lips as he watched her.  “I always had a feeling that you were just as obnoxious as a Padawan as you are now.” He certainly couldn’t argue with that; actually, he had been a difficult youth, always headstrong and quick to temper. It was only Qui-Gon’s training and, unfortunately, his death that had forced him to put that anger under a tight rein until he had finally learned to let go.

When Asajj finally calmed down and caught her breath, she wiped the tears from her eyes and resituated herself against him. “That felt good. I haven’t laughed like that in so long, not since Master Narec.”

_Ah, the mysterious Ky Narec._ “He made you laugh often?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes, but I mostly did it just to humor him. He had a love for telling the most awful jokes. He always got a sad look on his face when no one else found them funny, so I did what I could to make him feel better.” Her silver eyes grew distant, lost in the fond memories of her Master.

“What kinds of jokes?” Obi-Wan whispered.

Asajj snapped out of her memories at the sound of his voice; she’d almost forgotten where she was and who was with her. She thought for a moment, then decided there would be no harm in sharing. “This one was one of his favorites.

“Two men walk into a cantina. The first says to the bartender, ‘I’ll have an H two O’. The second says, ‘I’ll have an H two O, too’. The second man dies.”

Silence. Then they both erupted into laughter, mainly at how truly absurd the joke was. Obi-Wan thought of how nice the moment was, to have Asajj in his arms, laughing for what was surely the first time in years, and her shattered heart slowly repairing itself…all because she now had someone who truly cared about her, whether right or wrong. He couldn’t simply leave someone so broken to fend for herself, in spite of her blood-soaked past. It simply wasn’t in his nature, especially if he could do something to help.

Their laughter ebbing, Obi-Wan ran a hand down her arm and let out a soft breath of relief when she didn’t flinch. “I never had the honor of meeting Master Narec. What was he like?”

The tiny shadow of worry that she would push him away, both physically and metaphorically, dissipated when she began to talk. She started at the beginning, using her hands animatedly to emphasize her points.

Narec had first swooped into her life as she’d fought off Weequay raiders with nothing more than the Force, something she hadn’t understood at the time and even now only barely comprehended. She lingered on anecdotes of the kindness Narec had always shown her. At such a young age, she had already been a war orphan, a Nightsister, and a slave. She had never thought of a future beyond each sunset…until Master Narec showed her that there could be more to life, the _she_ could be so much more than just another tragic tale in the grand scheme of the universe.

They had fought together to free Rattatak from constant warfare and needless bloodshed. They had become heroes to the common people, a title she had been loath to accept, but had done so at her Master’s gentle urging. _Sometimes people need a face to put to an ideal to further believe in it. You are the face of their freedom, young one. What harm is there in that?_

She spoke of him with such reverence that Obi-Wan was suddenly reminded of Qui-Gon. In his younger days he was often perplexed and annoyed with his Master and his penchant for lost causes (Jar Jar Binks being a prime example). The way Asajj talked, Narec and Qui-Gon would have been the best of friends if given the opportunity. The parallels between the fallen Masters, and now Obi-Wan himself, his former Padawan, and the woman in his arms weren’t lost on the Jedi. He idly wondered if the Force was writing them all into some kind of tragic passion play.

Obi-Wan came back to himself when he realized Asajj had stopped talking. Her hands had gone still. And she was currently as stiff as a durasteel beam. “Asajj? Are you alright?”

She curled closer to him, as if she could disappear into herself. “Then…he died.”

_And now we reach the crux of her pain._ His arm instinctively tightened around her shoulders.  “How?”

She took a deep breath…and hurriedly removed herself from the bed. “I can’t,” she whispered, her back to him. The tremor in her voice was heartwrenching.

Obi-Wan stood as well and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I understand, my dear. Some wounds, though years old, are still too raw.” He turned her to face him and tilted her head up to meet her eyes; the faint light from the rising sun reflected in the tears she stubbornly refused to let fall. “I won’t force you, but you’ll have to confront your Master’s death if you are to truly heal.”

Asajj held his gaze for a moment, then glanced at the window. “Dawn is coming.” She didn’t want to talk about Master Narec anymore. She could handle the memories of his life, but not his death. She couldn’t relive that pain again. Not right now. Not yet.

Obi-Wan knew he would get no further this night, not without risking losing the progress they’d both made together. Time would help her see that he was right (as reluctantly as he was sure she would admit). “So it is,” he said lightly, his thumb brushing over her cheek.

She leaned into his palm for the briefest of moments before quickly remembering herself. She shook her head and stepped away from him. She had already allowed herself to get too close to him, and him to her. She needed to maintain distance if she were to remain strong; she would not let herself give into the weakness his touch inspired in her, damnable as it was.

“I have to go.” She stepped around him, but froze when his fingers closed around her wrist. She looked back at him, silently demanding an explanation and a reason to not break his hand.

“Asajj, I return to the front in a couple of days. I don’t want you to feel that you’ll be alone. Will you come back before then?”

Her lips turned up in a sly smile that somehow made Obi-Wan’s breath hitch. “Missing me already, darling? As if I’d let you leave without a proper goodbye.” She gently pried his hand away and stepped onto the window’s ledge in a low crouch. She paused. “I got a lead on a target earlier. Maybe I’ll stop by tonight if all goes well.”

“One can only hope, my sweet.” It was as close to a ‘yes’ as he was going to get. How typically _her_.

Another smile, genuine this time, and she disappeared into the Coruscant dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, the joke Asajj tells is not my own. I saw it floating around Facebook a few times and thought it was funny (oh, nerd humor xD). And Naxom V is not a real planet (in reality or the SW universe). I just needed a throwaway place and that's what popped in my head.


	5. Chapter 5

“Are you ever going to tell me how you manage to slip past all of our security measures, my sweet?” He didn’t need to open his eyes to know that she was seated right in front of him; she’d stolen into his room several moments ago while he was meditating…well, trying to. His mind still swirled with thoughts of her, of the long-hidden memories she’d revealed to him, of the way her voice had become something reverent as she recalled the tutelage of her Master. Never had he expected the feared assassin to have such a gentle side. It was beautiful. “Come to bid me farewell before I don the mantle of a general again?” No sarcastic reply, no half-hearted insult to his pride. Even her Force signature was uncharacteristically calm. “Asajj?”

Obi-Wan started to open his eyes but found himself in darkness again when her hands covered them. Before he could ask what she was doing her voice drifted through the silence. “I’m ready to tell you about Master Narec…how he died.” Her words were steady, her tone soft and even. The time had come for her to relive her agony in order to release it back into the Force and finally have peace. “But…just do me a favor: don’t open your eyes. Okay?” She waited until he nodded before removing her hands. She couldn’t bring herself to share that old pain with him and see the compassion and sympathy that was sure to be shining from those eyes. _One deep breath before the plunge…_

She told him about their final fight with Rattataki warlords and their Weequay mercenaries, how perfectly and seamlessly they moved together, lightsabers flashing in deadly harmony against blasterfire and metal blades that sought to cut them down. They were bonded through the Force and could sense their opponents’ moves even before they did. They were Jedi and they were unstoppable…

Until a Weequay found an opening and used it. Narec’s face when the blaster bolt caught him in the back had been seared into her brain to haunt her until her dying day. Asajj had rushed to his side, all thought of her own fight gone. She had begged him not to die, not to leave her alone like everyone else in her life. He had tried to say something, reaching out for her, but he never got a single word out. She had watched the light fade from his kind eyes and the strength ebb from his body. It was then that she had known true pain. She’d had no time to grieve for her beloved Master, the only father she had ever known.  The rage had consumed her so quickly and with such ferocity that all that remained was the knowledge of how to kill.

“I turned my back on everything my Master taught me about the Light Side of the Force. He never had time to teach me how to let go of pain like that.” Her voice broke ever so slightly, the sound heartwrenching. But Obi-Wan kept his promise and didn’t open his eyes. Instead he reached out to her through the Force in an effort to soothe her; he was hurt when she suddenly pushed him back and threw up her walls again. “I appreciate the thought, Kenobi,” she said with gentle firmness, “but I don’t need to be comforted. Just let me finish this before I lose my nerve. And keep your eyes shut.

“When I lost myself to the Dark Side, I was able to forget my hurt, at least for a little while. When I was busy doing Dooku’s bidding or…killing any Jedi I came across, I was able to put aside Narec’s death so I wouldn’t have to…” She couldn’t continue. She turned her head and wiped away the stinging tears that had started to fall.

Obi-Wan finished the thought for her. “So you wouldn’t have to face that heartache, because to face it would be to either blame yourself, which you still do, or accept it and move on, which was unacceptable.”

She nodded even though he couldn’t see it. She looked down at her hands as if the blood of a lifetime of violence, death, and torture was dripping from her fingers. “Yes,” she whispered finally. “As terrible and selfish as it was, I couldn’t bring myself to let it go. I felt like it would have been a disservice to his memory if I did. And I would have lost the only power I’d ever had over my own life.”

Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I tried so hard to live in the Light and all it had gotten me was a string of dead loved ones and abandonment. It was only through the Dark Side that I ever felt like my life was my own again, that I had some semblance of control.”

“That is the great lie of the Dark Side, Asajj. It seduces and tempts with false promises, but never grants real control over our destinies.” He reached out a hand for hers; she didn’t take it.

“Not all of us are gifted with clear sight at a young age, Kenobi,” she snapped. “The Force isn’t as generous to some.”

Obi-Wan refrained from further lecturing her about how the plans of the Force were not always apparent. That wasn’t what she needed right now. “Asajj, you have changed so much since we last met on Boz Pity. You’re no longer a slave to the Dark Side. You need only to ask for forgiveness and it is yours.”

A harsh chuckle escaped her lips. “Thanks for the morale boost, Kenobi. I don’t think you’re the only one who gets to make that decision, though.”

“I’m not talking about the Council, my dear. Can I open my eyes now?”

“No. Then what _are_ you talking about?”

He mentally sighed but explained: “The Force is more forgiving than you think, Asajj; as well as your Master.”

She snorted. “After everything I’ve done, you really think he would forgive my sins so easily?”

“Why not? I did.” He felt her go tense, her anger replaced with stunned silence. “I forgave you everything long ago. When you let go of your rage and pain on Boz Pity, the force embraced you once again. And from what you’ve told me of him, I’ve no doubt that Master Narec would be proud of you for that.”

Asajj could only stare at him. Thinking back on it now, she’d done Narec a great disservice in more ways than one. She’d fallen to the Dark Side out of grief, but remained in its sway out of fear. It was illogical, but she’d thought that as long as she fed her anger she wouldn’t have to think about how disappointed Master Narec would have been in her. Just as when she was a child she’d given no thought to her future, no thought for the repercussions of her actions. As long as her mind and hands stayed busy the future didn’t exist. She didn’t have to think about the shame her Master surely felt towards her.

But now Obi-Wan had cleared that haze and seen the truth that she had denied all those years: although she had forsaken the Jedi tenets of compassion, understanding, and forgiveness, Narec never did, and he never would. Death would not have changed who he was or what he believed. She just didn’t want to believe that after all she’d done that he would forgive her anything. Remembering his kindness and faith now, she realized how right Obi-Wan was…and was ashamed.

The Jedi whispered her name after several moments of silence. She was looking at her hands again; this time she didn’t see the blood. Hardened from incessant training and conflict they were, but clean (relatively). She smiled. “I still think you’re full of it, Ken- Obi-Wan. But somehow you always manage to know just what to say.”

One side of his mouth turned up in his trademark smirk. “I consider it a gift, my dear.”

Asajj looked up at him and felt a tingling in her chest. This man, her once-enemy, was so patient with her and so sure of his conviction. She found herself studying his face more intently than ever, lingering on the curve of his mouth. Realizing the direction her thoughts were turning, she stood and went to the small window, hoping the bright lights of Coruscant nightlife would distract her.

Obi-Wan felt the change in her Force signature, her calm now washing over him. He took a chance and cracked open one eye. In that instant his breath decided to abandon him and he was left staring at his guest in open awe. It was like she had transformed; no longer did hardened grief and hair-trigger rage dominate her being. The pain was still there and would be for some time, but she was well on her way to making peace with it. What he could see of her face was smooth and untroubled. Her body language echoed that from the relaxed slope of her shoulders, bare skin shimmering in the artificial light, down to the curves of her legs. She practically glowed, both in the mundane world and through the Force itself.

His observation prompted a thought, fleeting and simple at first, then rooting itself in his brain, whispering across his subconscious over and over again until the words tumbled from his lips: “You are a beautiful woman, Asajj.”


	6. Chapter 6

Obi-Wan stood when the former assassin snapped her gaze to him. She was startled for a moment…just a moment. Then she smiled. She took extra care in making sure her hips swayed in a most tantalizing way as she stepped towards him with a throaty laugh. “My dear Obi-Wan, thank you for noticing.” She raised her hands to his shoulders, noting how he didn’t flinch at her touch. She took that as a good sign and decided to see just how far he would allow this game to go. “But you’re all talk. I doubt you would even know what to do with me if you had the opportunity.” She smirked to herself as one hand slid down to his chest, the steady rise and fall hitching just once.

“And what is that supposed to mean, my sweet?” he said in that damnably even tone of his. His heartbeat was steady, but his breaths were slow and deep. _Too_ slow and deep. He was trying to control himself. _How cute…but futile._ He was momentarily confused and unsure how to respond, whereas she was completely in her element now; no hesitation, no guilt, no thought for anything but the game they’d been playing for so long now.

Asajj shrugged nonchalantly as if they were merely discussing the chance of rain. “I mean that your precious Jedi code prohibits attachment, and you’re not one to do _anything_ in half measures. I wonder how long it’s been since you’ve last touched a woman that didn’t involve trying to save her life…or end it. Whichever.” She paused for a beat as if in deep thought. “Or haveyou ever been with anyone at all, I wonder.” Before he could utter a single word, she smoothly slid the length of her body against his so that there was no doubt whatsoever what she meant.

“I assure you, dearest: I may be a Jedi, but I’m also a man,” he growled after remembering how to breathe. His voice sent a shiver down her spine that she relished, but she still didn’t dare look up. She didn’t need to, though. She could feel his gaze on her as heavily and heatedly as a blow from a lightsaber. During their banter she hadn’t met his eyes once, partially out of fear that he would end the game in disgust, but mostly because she wanted to maintain an air of aloof disinterest. Nothing got under his skin more than being ignored. _Well, this certainly escalated quickly…_ “And I was being serious. You truly are stunning.”

_Let’s push it just a little more…_

“I don’t think I quite believe you,” she teased brutally, ignoring his second breathy statement. She whispered her next words directly into his ear. “Shall we put your theory to the test?” The Jedi froze the instant her tongue traced the shell of his ear, her breath chilling the wet flesh as she chuckled.

Her laugh died in a gasp when his fingers suddenly dug into her waist and a sharp pain bloomed on her shoulder. He’d bitten her. He’d clamped his mouth down into her flesh to stifle the groan that her teasing had wrenched from him. She jumped back, one hand over the mark that was sure to be there, her eyes wide in complete and utter shock. He looked just as surprised as she was. His face turned a bright shade of red as he quickly looked away and released his hold on her. “I-I’m sorry-“

“Don’t,” she said abruptly. “Don’t you dare apologize.” She silenced anything else he might have said by burying her hands in his hair and sealing her lips over his.

All thought flew from Obi-Wan’s mind in that moment. His arms remained locked at his sides and his breath abandoned his lungs. By the Force, her kiss was intoxicating! Not even Hondo Ohnaka’s spiked liquor had had such a profound effect on the Jedi. The moment her body pressed against his and her tongue slipped past his lips he was lost. The heat that had blossomed in his chest, as it usually did in her presence, had erupted into a wave that rivaled a volcano’s eruption. She was demanding, aggressive, and desperate, as if she were trying to express something she couldn’t put into words. If not for the need to breathe he might have been swept away by their shared passion and lost forever. He idly wondered why she didn’t back away as they tried to regain their breath. Then he took note of his left hand gripping her hip so hard the tendons on his forearm strained against his skin, and his right now on the back of her neck. He didn’t recall moving his arms, but neither did he much care at the moment.

With the full realization of what had just happened sinking in, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” he admitted between gasps for air.

He felt her smile through the Force before she chuckled again. “I probably would have decapitated you if you’d tried before.”

“Probably?”

“If you’d been a terrible kisser, definitely.”

“And your verdict?”

She tugged on his hair until his eyes met hers, a low growl rumbling through his chest. She made a quick mental note of his reaction for later use.  “You still have your head, don’t you?”

“Glad to know I measure up to your standards, my darling.” He was quite enjoying this game of theirs, as he secretly had for the majority of their relationship. They had danced around the heart of their mutual obsession (her for his death, him in his quest to bring her out of the Darkness) without admitting what it truly was, at least in part: a primal, all-encompassing attraction that masqueraded as shared contempt for each other. But now, though he was still a devout Jedi, she was no longer on the opposing side of the war, no longer a sworn enemy. His saccharine endearments that had begun as genuine condescension had become, well, genuine. Although he certainly would struggle with the Code regarding attachment, he no longer felt as guilty about his feelings as he once had.

Asajj’s answering smile was a beautifully dangerous sight to behold. Her half-lidded eyes swirled with desire and anticipation as she looked at him through her lashes. “Perhaps I shouldn’t be so hasty in my judgment, Kenobi. I’m sure you’ll disappoint me somewhere down the road and I’ll have no choice but to spare the females of the universe from your abysmal seduction techniques.”

“Well, if it’s for the good of the universe…” His left hand slid from her hip over the swell of her backside, pressing her intimately against his body. A brief moan escaped her lips before she clamped her mouth shut. “Who am I to terminate such a noble quest?”

A small part of his brain told Obi-Wan that he needed to stop this, that this was just Asajj using her sexuality to mask her emotional turmoil, that she thought this was nothing but a joke. His feelings for her were certainly no joke. But the warmth of her hands on his face, her tongue on his, and her body against his pitilessly shoved that small internal voice aside. Surely no harm could befall either of them for just a few moments…

Asajj took the lead as her kisses continued without end or mercy. The scratch of his beard against her face only incited her more, along with his strong hands trying to decide exactly where to settle on her body; he wanted to touch every inch of her, she knew. She’d reduced previous lovers to such indecisiveness and knew how to read and exploit a man’s arousal. But this was the first time she’d derived any pleasure from such hesitancy. The great Obi-Wan Kenobi, celebrated Jedi Knight, now fumbling over where to touch her. She would have laughed if she wasn’t so intent on breaking that damnable Jedi control of his.

A sudden idea sprang to life in her mind. She pulled her torso away from him, her mouth still trying to coax his to yield completely, for the briefest of seconds to pull the zip on her top and throw it to the floor. A mewling sound of blatant need escaped her lips when her bare flesh met with his rough woolen tunic and his callused hands pressed into her naked back.

The sudden shock of his hands against her bare skin brought Obi-Wan out of his haze and back to himself, his Jedi sensibilities resurfacing just as quickly. “Asajj, wait.” He pushed her back so he could meet her eyes. “I…we shouldn’t do this.” They were the right words to say, the words he should have said many moments before. So why did they ring hollow even to his ears?

She took a step back, steeling herself for yet another rejection. “Why not?”

He wasn’t looking at her. “It’s just-“

“Don’t you want to?”

He turned his head at the note of fear in her voice. His gaze was soon drawn down to her breasts, rising and falling with each heavy breath she took, and the inward curve of her waist before flaring out into black-clad hips. The faint scars that littered her flesh did little to detract from her unconventional beauty. “By the Force, yes,” he whispered as his fingers trailed over her skin.

“Then there is no problem.”

She made to kiss him again, but he stopped her. “The Code-“

“Hang the kriffing Code!” His head snapped up in surprise at the sudden anger in her voice. He’d never heard her use such language before. Well, not in Basic at least. “Have you ever once felt attraction to anyone that was less than polite? Truly?”

His thoughts immediately went to Cerasi, Siri, and Satine. If he had been less devoted to the Jedi Order he very well could have had a life with any of them, a potentially happy one; he almost did with Cerasi, but her sudden death saw him trudging back to the Temple and the Order with a heavy heart. He’d always chosen his duty to the Order over personal feelings. And now all three of them were dead. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t regret walking away from love so many times in his life. “Yes,” he admitted quietly. He couldn’t bear to go into detail, especially with Satine’s death still so fresh in his mind.

“And did you do anything about it?” His silence was all the answer she needed. Her fingers caressed his face as if she could take his pain away; she knew she was a poor substitute for whomever he had in mind, but she could at least try to be something other than an emotional burden. She didn’t want to play the patient to his therapist anymore, the sinner to his monk. She just wanted to be a woman for once; not a murderer, not a bounty hunter, not a tool of the Sith. “Then just this once let yourself have something you want. Will the universe grind to a halt if you allow yourself just one thing you want instead of what others allow you to have?” His silence gave her the opening she needed for one last plea. “I’m not asking you to leave your precious Order, Obi-Wan. Just for now, just for a moment, forget the war. Forget your duty, the Jedi, the Sith. Just let there be whatever this is between us. _Please._ ”

It was the ‘ _please_ ’ that broke him. She wasn’t begging for sex; Asajj Ventress would never lower herself to the level of a common whore; if she chose to lie with someone she would NEVER have to resort to begging. She was pleading for a chance at normalcy, a moment where there were no Jedi or Sith, no Republic or Confederacy. Just two people who felt the same attraction and decided to act on it without first forming a special committee to weigh the pros and cons. She was asking simply for some sign that someone wanted to be close to her without expecting or demanding anything in return for her company. Someone who wouldn’t use her for their own purposes then discard her like her former master had done. Someone she could trust. Someone she could possibly come to love.

He knew she was treading in painful territory by opening herself to him so much. If he rejected her now, based on the Order’s admittedly archaic Code rather than by his own volition, he may never get her back again. She’d been broken one too many times, abandoned more than anyone he’d ever known or heard tale of, and robbed of everyone she’d ever dared to love. She would turn her back on everything they’d spent the last two weeks building together and fall back under the power of the Dark Side.

And with her standing here now, physically and emotionally bared before him, he couldn’t say he’d never fantasized about what a night with her might be like. He’d probably barely survive and still crave more. He could live with that if it turned out to be true…

Obi-Wan looked down as his hand found hers and laced their fingers together. “The Code does indeed forbid attachment…” He felt her try to pull away, already bracing herself for the final blow to her heart, but his grip on her hand stilled her. “…but it says nothing about _connections_.” His eyes met hers with his characteristic smile, tinted with amusement and just a small amount of smugness. He was testing the limits of the Code he had sworn to uphold all his life, but at this moment he couldn’t have cared less if Yoda and Windu both expelled him from the Order for it. Others had pushed their loyalty to the Order far further and gotten only a slap on the wrist; surely he could indulge himself just this once. “You and I have had a very unorthodox _connection_ since we first met. I see no reason why we can’t…strengthen it.”

It was then that she smiled. The sight nearly took his breath away. For the first time she looked truly, wholly happy. Relieved, too, but happiness was what shone on her face and reflected in her eyes. As quickly as it came her joy was replaced by an anxious heat that poured over him like a fire. She moved first, taking his lips between hers once more, this time savoring the kiss as one would a fine champagne. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but wonder if his skin would spontaneously ignite if she kept kissing him like that.

Not to be outdone, he let his hands slide between her flesh and the black fabric at her hips. He tugged the leggings down as he knelt before her and tried not to stare as more and more skin was exposed. Her hands stayed on his head, fingers lightly gripping his hair, while he removed her soft boots almost reverently then stripped off the fabric entirely. Keeping his gaze level, he ran a hand over her thin calf, silently admiring the taut muscle that lay beneath. He slowly lifted one foot from the floor and pressed his lips into her ankle. In the silence her soft gasp seemed as loud as a starfighter powering up. The sound sent a ripple of electricity down his spine; he wanted to hear it again.

Obi-Wan steadily kissed his way up her leg, occasionally nuzzling her knee or thigh. He paused for a moment when he reached her hip, debating whether or not to turn his attention to the center of her arousal. He decided against it (he had more pressing needs, as had she) and continued up her waist, over one breast, which drew a gasp from her, and back to her waiting lips.

Asajj wasn’t sure if she was more disappointed or relieved that he had avoided the ache between her legs on his journey up her body. But when his hand cupped her jaw and his fingertips tenderly tilted her head to a better angle, she became engrossed in his kiss once again. He was being so gentle with her, so careful. Well, that wouldn’t do.

She pushed him back towards his bed until he was forced to sit. She prevented him from standing by quickly lifting one knee to the mattress beside him. She released his lips from hers and looked down at him with a sultry smile. “You’re overdressed, my darling,” she whispered, her voice low with desire. She was expecting a witty reply, but he seemed tongue-tied. _So much for the oratory skills of the great Negotiator._ “I believe I can remedy that…”

Dexterous fingers made short work of his belt, then his tunic. She allowed herself a moment to caress his arms as she pushed the material from his shoulders. Like her, his body bore the scars of a lifetime of battle, though his were not nearly as numerous as her own. She traced one of the more prominent ones across his ribcage, idly wondering how he had gotten it and what had become of the one who had given it to him, before his fingers closed around hers. He lifted the hand to his mouth and pressed his lips into her palm. She couldn’t help but wonder why he was insisting on such gentility; none of her previous bedfellows had ever shown such care.

Rather than dwell on the subject and run the risk of ruining the moment, Asajj shoved him back onto the bed and lay her body flush over his. She purred when his hands instinctively went to her hips as she covered his mouth with hers again. She removed one of his hands from her hip and pinned it above his head, her fingers locking around his wrist. A burst of heat sizzled in her abdomen when a growl, deep and primal, vibrated through his chest and against her lips. Her free hand slid down his chest, nails lightly raking through the fine layer of hair, and lower to the waist of his pants. The fabric barrier didn’t stop her, though.

Obi-Wan drew in a sharp breath and tore his mouth away when he realized what she was about to do. He wanted to tell her to stop, that she should be the one to receive such intimate pleasure first, but she sensed his apprehension and struck quickly. His head fell back to expose the long line of his throat, his hand on her hip shot up to her back, fingertips biting into her skin, and a helpless groan wrenched itself from deep within his chest when her fingers closed around him.

Asajj watched his face closely as she moved her hand. Every wince, every twitch of his mouth, every ripple of his throat as he swallowed was committed to memory. She leaned down to press her lips into his neck while he squirmed beneath her. The salty tang of his sweat on her tongue seemed a delicacy to her in the heat of the moment. His rattled sighs and throaty moans were a symphony. Strange that she should feel this way with a man who had once been her mortal enemy.

Between incoherent sounds of pleasure, Obi-Wan managed to salvage some of his vocabulary: “Asajj…please…” It was a struggle for him just to get those two words out. Asajj, on the other hand, froze in shock. Not at the words themselves, but at the tone with which they were uttered, and her reaction to it: his submission, so willing and so complete, was so unexpected, as was the shiver it sent down her spine.

She quickly came back to herself, not wanting to turn reflective when she (finally) had the great Obi-Wan Kenobi at her mercy. Not in the way she’d always imagined, of course, but not entirely unwanted. The corners of her lips turned up in a sly smile, her thumb brushing over the top of his erection. Granting him a moment of clemency, she removed her hand and brought it to her lips. Making sure his eyes were locked on her, she slowly licked the thumb clean, as much a show of sensuality as an unspoken promise of what she could and would do if she so chose. “’Please’ what, my dear Obi-Wan?” She wasn’t playing fair and they both knew it.

A spark ignited in Obi-Wan’s eyes then; he could only take so much. He grabbed her wrist with his free hand and stared hard at her with a fire so similar yet so different to the look he would give her when they fought. “Don’t make me beg, darling.”

Oh, she was most certainly enjoying this! “Now, why would I eeeever-“ she rocked her hips against his as she stressed the word, leaning down to whisper the rest into his ear “-do a thing like that?” The tip of her tongue darted out and touched his earlobe, her lips following closely to close around it.

Obi-Wan had finally had enough. Faster than she could blink, he rolled her onto her back and pressed his weight onto her. The surprise in her eyes lasted only a moment, but he had seen it. “You know what…”

He leaned in to nip at her neck, but she was faster, especially with a little help from the Force. He almost groaned in exasperation when he found himself once more on his back. But this time she sat astride him, her knees on either side of his waist and her body perfectly displayed above him. Her smile was a dangerously erotic sight, not that he was complaining. “Since you asked so very nicely, I suppose I can acquiesce.” Another bit of aid from the Force had him nude beneath her, and a tight lock on her restraint had her slowly, achingly, taking him into her body.

Obi-Wan’s hands closed on the sharp points of her hips to steady her descent, but more to keep his mind from flying apart at the sensations she woke in him. He tried focusing on a small part of the Force to keep his sanity in check, but each tilt of her hips and every tiny sound of pleasure that escaped her dark lips shattered any semblance of control. The long line of her body, her nails digging into his abdomen, the faint light from the window glinting off her pale flesh and the thin strand of jewels dangling from one ear. He couldn’t stop the overwhelming feeling of awe as he looked at her.

Asajj didn’t stop him when he raised himself into a sitting position, didn’t even break stride. She simply met his eyes for a brief moment, then wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him into another searing kiss. She shivered at the feel of his fingers tracing over the scars on her back before they journeyed up to her neck. The combined sensations were too much for her to handle. She wrenched her mouth away from his to gasp out her pleasure, which allowed him access to the sensitive skin of her throat.  One hand clutched at his shoulder while the other tightened in his hair, earning her another low growl of approval. Her body was now moving of its own accord; she felt as if she were being controlled by some preternatural force, her hips moving faster against his and incoherent sounds of pure elation spilling from her lips.

Although he was trying very hard to focus on the intoxicating taste of his former enemy, Obi-Wan soon found himself half-lost in the Force. As that familiar ache began to take on a near-physical form, starting at the base of his spine and moving lower with each passing second, he began to see things in his mind’s eye. Bright coils of blue light undulated with every breath, streaks of violet darting through and around them in a rhythm that seemed at once very near and so far away. It took him a moment to realize that they came and went in time with Asajj’s heartbeat.

_No…it can’t…that’s not possible…_

The sudden understanding of what was happening within the Force had him reeling, staring openly at the goddess astride him for a brief moment before his body uncoiled with a violent snap, hers not far behind. The lights in his mind exploded like a supernova as their shared orgasm ripped through them for what seemed an eternity. When it finally passed and calm settled over them once more, the lights had also dimmed. But now they were entwined, meeting and parting like a tightly woven strand of DNA.

Obi-Wan watched as Asajj came back to herself, their harsh breath cutting pointedly through the silence. The moment she opened her eyes he knew: she had seen the same thing he had. Maybe she could explain how it had happened…

“What the hell was that?” she gasped in shock.

“I…” He struggled to find words to describe it. “I think…we’ve just become…bonded…through the Force.”

A flicker of fear passed through her eyes. He instinctively cupped her cheek in his palm in an effort to soothe her. The fear was quickly replaced with mild apprehension. “How…what exactly does that mean?”

He shook his head. He’d only heard vague tales of Force bonds. They were incredibly rare, almost unheard of outside of Master/Padawan relationships, and developed slowly over many years. They could also be dangerous if used improperly or if either party allowed the other’s emotions and thoughts to overwhelm them. “I’m…not sure.” It wasn’t often he found himself at a loss for words, but this was definitely an appropriate occasion to be tongue-tied. Careful not to push too far, he sent a simple thought across the glowing lines of their link, fascinated with how they rippled as if alive. _Can you hear me, Asajj?_

Her startled expression gave him his answer. There was a heavy pause before she replied: _Yes._

Obi-Wan let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and drew her down for a gentle kiss. Despite his concerns about the route their relationship had taken, he couldn’t help but feel as if he were more… _complete._ He couldn’t deny that what he felt for her had grown to something beyond mere compassion and tentative friendship, and she most certainly felt the same; the Force wouldn’t have joined them together if she had been resistant. Under the initial wariness at such a big development he could feel a serenity emanating from her, a peace that she had perhaps never known until now.

There was still one question that had to be asked before he would allow himself to completely relax, however. “Will you stay?” he whispered against her lips. Another question, this one cloaked in disbelief, hung in the air between them, reflected in her silver eyes: _what?_

Obi-Wan carefully gathered her in his arms and pressed his forehead to hers. _Will you stay with me tonight?_

Asajj let her mind go blank lest he hear her turbulent thoughts. The request itself was innocent enough, but the consequences… If she stayed it would mean allowing herself to get attached. She couldn’t risk that, not with their respective professions, not with her history of having those she-dare she think it?-cared for ripped away in one form or another. And what if she was discovered in the Temple, in his private quarters? She was certain Skywalker would make an appearance sooner or later, and though that could make for some amusing entertainment she would much rather keep her head firmly on her shoulders.

She was about to turn him down with her customary slyness, but stopped when she saw what lay in those hopeful blue eyes. Not only was there genuine affection, but also a promise of security and sanctuary.

The words were out of her mouth and rippling along their newly-formed link before she could stop herself: “Of course, darling.” Her heart swelled at the sight of his smile. A soft press of her lips to his sealed the affirmation.


	7. Chapter 7

 The beep of a comlink broke through the relative quiet of the chamber, leaving only Asajj’s breathless gasps echoing in his ears. “Leave it,” she purred, lacing her fingers with the hand that reached for the still beeping device.

Obi-Wan grinned in response. “Can’t do that, dearest. Might be important.”

“More important than this?” A mild bite to his lower lip drew a hum of contentment from deep in his chest, but he was not so easily swayed.

He quickly rolled them over so that he loomed above her on the bed, comlink suddenly in his hand, the other stroking the soft flesh of her hip. “You’ve had my undivided attention for the past day and a half, darling. We both knew someone else would eventually want a little attention, yes?” She opened her mouth to argue, but he silenced her with a gentle _shush_. “Kenobi here.”

“Master Obi-Wan.” He froze at the sound of Yoda’s voice. Asajj had no such compunction; her hands and lips continued to explore his body without the slightest bit of concern for their unseen audience. “A word with you, I would like, if time, you have.”

The Master’s voice revealed nothing, yet everything. Obi-Wan forced the lump from his throat and stifled a groan when his lover found a particular sensitive spot on his neck. She seemed to be _trying_ to make him lose his composure in front of Yoda…so to speak. “Tell him you’re in the middle of heated” –a hot kiss to his lips- “aggressive” –a tight squeeze of her thighs around his waist- “negotiations with a very dangerous bounty hunter.”

Her playful whispers nearly broke his resolve, but he remained composed enough to answer his superior. “Yes, Master. I shall join you momentarily.” The link had barely gone dead before a shuddering gasp was ripped from his throat; Asajj had taken his earlobe between her teeth and tugged hard, soothing the bite with full, hot lips. He was beginning to regret her discovering that weakness of his; she’d resorted to it far too often in the past hours and he’d crumbled every time. “That was not funny,” he admonished half-heartedly.

“Funny, no,” she agreed, that self-satisfied smirk still on her lips. “ _Fun_ , most definitely.”

He couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on his face. “It seems to me that you want to be punished, my sweet.”

“Jedi don’t do punishment, darling. Or have you forgotten that basic lesson already?”

A brief roll of his hips against hers had her arching into him, silently begging for more. It was a request his body demanded he grant, but he had more pressing matters at the moment. “In your case I’d make an exception.”

Any argument or quip she may have had was drowned in the kiss that had her burning from the inside out, sounds she ordinarily would have been ashamed of tumbling from her as easily as water down a mountainside. She was only minimally aware of being raised up from the bed, her arms still wrapped around his neck, but quickly realized the deception when his warmth abruptly left her. “No fair, Kenobi,” she mock-whined as he made for his personal ‘fresher; although a more primal part of him liked the idea of walking around shrouded in his lover’s scent, his rational side knew that only bad things would come of it.

“All’s fair, darling,” he replied with a smile. Admittedly, the sight of her, gloriously nude and still blazing with lust, was more than tempting. But he wouldn’t let her know that. Let her simmer for a while.

When he stepped out of the ‘fresher in fresh robes and all trace of her (sadly) washed from his body, she had lain back on the bed, legs crossed at the ankles, spine arched, and arms stretched above her head. Force, she was still enticing. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried to pay no attention to her while pulling on his boots. He succeeded for a while, but apparently she didn’t take kindly to being ignored.

Her fingers delved into his hair from behind and yanked. Hard. The gasp that flew from his lips began as a startled sound but ended as a moan of pleasure. That was two weaknesses she (and surprisingly he) had discovered. He’d have to even the score somehow.

Asajj gave him a wicked smile; it was beautiful even upside down. “Don’t keep me waiting too long, darling,” she purred against his lips before sealing her mouth over them. _Or else I’ll have no choice but to finish what you started, then I’ll really have no use for you anymore._ It was good to hear the teasing return to her voice, but the added sensation of it through their bond assured him that she was not being serious. Reaching up to cup the back of her head with one hand, he hoped that playfulness would remain for a long time to come. He couldn’t bear the thought of her sinking into despair once again. He could feel how content she was to finally have someone there for her, to unburden herself to should she choose. She wouldn’t throw that away for anything. And he certainly wasn’t planning on abandoning her any time soon.

He yelped when she released his lips and tugged on his hair again. That time it really did hurt. “You’re thinking again. Stop it.”

Obi-Wan turned to face her straight on (his neck was beginning to develop a cramp). “Could you hear any of that?”

“No, but I could feel it.” She rolled her eyes at the apologetic look he gave her. Her hands went to his face, this time to soothe rather than harm or entice. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m a big girl. I can tie my own shoes and everything.” She grinned at the chuckle that elicited from him. “I’m serious, Obi-Wan. I don’t exactly what this Force bond entails, but I can already tell it’s making a difference. I can’t promise I won’t have bad days again, but I can handle them if they come. You’ve got more to think about than me, what with the fate of the entire galaxy resting on your shoulders and absolutely no one else’s.”

“And I can’t promise that I won’t worry,” he replied seriously. “Sorry, my sweet. It’s in my nature.” His fingers traced down her cheek, then behind her ear to draw her closer. A quick press of his lips to hers (he idly wondered if it was possible to become addicted to kissing her) and he stood. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“Hurry back then.”

* * *

 

“My apologies for keeping you waiting, Master Yoda.” Obi-Wan stepped into the empty Council chamber and took a seat opposite the diminutive Grand Master.

“Unnecessary, apologies are, young Obi-Wan. Enjoying your reprieve from the war, are you?”

“I will admit I haven’t quite known what to do with myself lately. It’s been far too long since the Jedi have had a chance to enjoy peace. But I’ve found ways to occupy my time before I go back to the front tomorrow.”

Yoda made a low noise of agreement, but there was something else in the sound. Something _knowing._ “My reason for summoning you, this brings me.” Obi-Wan straightened up ever so slightly, a trait he’d developed as a Padawan whenever he knew a lecture was not far off. “Direct, I will be. Blunt, I **must** be. Know of your visitor, I do.” Obi-Wan tried not to react, but he must have let slip some twinge of apprehension in the Force or some fear to creep into his eyes. “Try to deny it, do not. Glad, I am, that you have found such joy, temporary though it may be. But wary you must be, if a relationship with Ventress, you pursue.”

“Master, my duty and my life have always belonged to the Order.”

“Know this, I do.”

“But, foolish as it may be, I had never given up hope that Asajj may be turned from the Dark Side. When she…died on Boz Pity I felt her change. She had returned to the Light before her last breath.”

“And returned in full, she has. Died, she did not.”

“No.” He let out a sigh that had been building inside him ever since that day when he watched the life leave her eyes on that battlefield. “She somehow survived, though she won’t tell me anything specific.” He raised his eyes to meet Yoda’s and suddenly felt very much like a youngling again, trying to explain something that at the time had seemed nothing but natural; it was like trying to explain the thought process and mechanics behind breathing. “Master, I know what she’s done. I know what she’s still capable of should the Dark rise in her again. But I am confident that she has left that life behind. She fell to the Dark Side in despair at losing her master, and there was no one around to comfort and support her. Dooku certainly was no help to her in that regard.”

“Think yourself the one to give this aid, do you?”

“She came to me, Master. At great personal risk, I might add.” His voice rose the more he defended the former assassin, but he did not notice it. He wanted so very badly to believe that she had abandoned her desire to become a Sith and would soon enough join him and the other Jedi in the Light. “She said that I was the only one who truly understood her when even she did not fully understand herself. In the past week, I think I’ve come to understand her even more.”

“Love her, do you?” Obi-Wan reeled back at the simple question as if he’d been struck. There was no condemnation in Yoda’s voice, no hint of disappointment or anger in his Force signature. “Love you, does she?”

The younger Master cast his gaze to the floor where the fading sunlight streaming through the windows gave way to shadow. “I…have no answer to either question, Master.”

“Less attempts to kill each other, there are, yes?” Was that a joke? Yoda chuckled, obviously pleased with himself, and Obi-Wan soon joined in. The lightheartedness in Yoda’s voice was soon replaced with a touch of sadness. “Careful you must be, young Obi-Wan. Let your emotions for your once-enemy cloud your judgment, you must not. Long have you thought of her. Long have you desired to see her free of the Dark Side. Intertwined now, your paths are. But let her go if the Force demands, you **must**.”

Obi-Wan could not speak. Was Yoda, the unofficial/official head of the Jedi Order, actually encouraging him to continue his relationship with Asajj, the very one who had killed dozens of Jedi and tortured him on Rattatak not so long ago? True, he had taken liberties with some of the more archaic statutes of the Order (and looked the other way when his former Padawan currently flaunted them), but this…

To engage in such a dangerous, forbidden affair in secret was one thing. For Yoda to know about it, let alone begrudgingly approve of it, was entirely another. Did he also know about their bond through the Force? Should the Knight even dare mention it? He certainly wanted to know more about such a bond would mean for them, and though Yoda was probably the most logical person to speak to he couldn’t bring himself to ask. It seemed such a private…no… _intimate_ matter.

Still unable to form some sort of coherent response, Obi-Wan could only bow his head and stand to leave, recognizing that he had effectively been dismissed. “A word of caution, I would give you,” Yoda called out suddenly. “If discovered in the Temple she is, if captured she is, protect you both, I cannot. Answer to the Jedi Council, you both will.”

Again, Obi-Wan had no response. Except… “I am…happy in her presence, Master Yoda. And I believe the feeling is mutual. I feel her hatred for the Jedi growing weaker each day. I have faith that she will soon be free from all hate and learn to trust in the Force as we do.”

“All I can ask, that is.”

The trek back to his apartment seemed to take an eternity. His entire life had just been turned upside down in mere moments. He wanted to delve into meditation before he returned to his duties as a general to think everything through. He wanted to discuss this newest development with Asajj before he had to leave; she deserved to know, after all. He wanted to sink into her arms and forget everything for the next few hours.

With so many options before him he could not think of a single one to act on first.

When he reached his door he noticed how vacant the room felt. Asajj had left once again. The discovery hurt more than he’d anticipated. She’d done this many times before, so why did he feel so…empty? The hurt lessened when he found a small piece of flimsy on the bed, still mussed from their earlier activities, along with a datachip. _I hate long goodbyes, but call me when you get a chance…and don’t you dare get killed out there._

She didn’t sign it, but he felt his disappointment lifting as he looked at her handwriting. Her concern, though hidden by a demand, was touching, as was the trust she was placing in him by leaving him a direct method of contact. If he’d been a less honorable man he very easily could have turned the chip over to the Council and used it to set her up for a trap. But he wouldn’t, and she knew that.

That trust was what kept a smile on his face as he programmed her information into his comlink. Settling in for his last night on Coruscant and comforted by her lingering scent, he sent an experimental wave of calm along their bond. He hoped she felt it wherever she was.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this one’s more of an interlude, but it was a case of yet another beastly chapter in the making. So I broke it up. –shrug-
> 
> I’m also taking a little liberty with the timeline from this point on. I know the Clone Wars lasted only three years and Ahsoka’s leaving the Order came pretty close to the events of RotS (and this story takes place after season five). But for the sake of this story, I’m drawing it out a little longer. You’ll understand why in the next chapters. I just wanted to point that out now to clear it up :)

Anakin knew something was up. Obi-Wan had always added a sarcastic optimism to their joint missions, but now that sarcasm was all but absent. Even his Force signature felt different. It almost felt…lighter. But he also seemed more distracted than usual. Not during the missions, of course, but in the downtime between negotiations, firefights, and planning sessions. Whenever Obi-Wan thought he wasn’t looking, Anakin noticed the small smiles, the faraway look in his eyes, and how much more often he stroked his beard as he usually did while in deep thought. Something had happened during his mentor’s vacation several weeks back. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but if he didn’t know better he’d say that Obi-Wan had met someone.

Anakin shook his head and chuckled to himself. No, that was beyond impossible. Firstly, Obi-Wan had said he’d spent his entire two-week reprieve in the Temple. Secondly, this was Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mister Never-Get-Attached-To-Anyone-Ever, Mister Jedi-Aren’t-Allowed-To-Have-Girlfriends. Hell, he hadn’t acted like this when he was reunited with Satine. He’d obviously had a thing with her when they were younger and when they met again it was plain to see that he still cared for her. But he’d never let whatever feelings he’d had for her distract him like he was now. Besides, he’d never shown any interest in pursuing anyone, not even Satine. He’d had dozens of opportunities over the years to indulge himself, but never acted on a single one.

Anakin shook his head again, more forcefully this time. He was starting to give himself a headache – and the mental images of his former Master in romantic situations were putting a bad taste in his mouth. He set off in search of the Jedi in question, hoping a sparring session or a quick snack would help even things out.

Out in the open section of forest where the Jedi and clones had made camp there was little sense of privacy. But Obi-Wan had somehow managed to slip away; no one had seen him for over an hour. What could he be up to?

Latching onto the familiar Force signature, Anakin followed it to an outcropping of rocks (that were in reality the remnants of what was once a temple of some sort) near a cliff edge. Obi-Wan’s back was to him, his silhouette outlined by a soft blue light that had nothing to do with the quickly setting sun and rising moons. Anakin was about to call out to him but stopped himself when he heard faint whispers. He strained to hear. He couldn’t make out any words, but Obi-Wan’s tone was worth noting: he sounded…well, calm (as always), but there was a peacefulness mixed with something else Anakin couldn’t place. Whomever his brother-in-arms was talking to was someone Obi-Wan was comfortable around, almost intimately so…

Anakin shook his head for the third time to clear out the unbidden thought. At the same time the blue light dissipated as Obi-Wan shut off the holocom. He didn’t move though. He sat as if in thought for a moment then exhaled audibly. Anakin saw the brief smile before it disappeared as the older man stood and turned. “Oh, hello, Anakin. What’s wrong?”

“What makes you think something’s wrong?” Anakin also didn’t miss the hint of nervousness in his voice, as if he’d been caught doing something embarrassing.

It was quickly gone, however. “Whenever I leave you alone for more than five minutes there’s always bound to be some sort of trouble you’ve gotten into.”

Anakin normally would have responded with indignation, but Obi-Wan’s mysterious holo conversation and subsequent behavior was more important at the moment. Preferring not to dance around the issue, he came right out with it. “Who were you talking to?”

Was that a blush coming to his mentor’s face? “A friend. Someone I haven’t seen in some time.”

Obi-Wan had obviously hoped that explanation would suffice and Anakin would drop the matter. _Yeeeeah, not gonna be that easy, old man._ “Anyone I know?” he asked as Obi-Wan stepped past him.

The older Jedi paised for just a moment, but it was enough to make Anakin even more suspicious. “No, no one you’ve met.”

“So what’s her name?”

“Anakin…”

“If I’ve never met her, what’s the harm in telling me her name?”

“What makes you think my friend is a she?”

That _was_ a blush. “Don’t answer my question with a question, Master. Seriously, why is it such a big secret? She’s _just a friend_ , right?”

Obi-Wan let out an exasperated, frustrated sigh, one that told Anakin he’d hit a nerve. “Anakin, it’s nothing like that.” He saw the younger man open his mouth to argue but one hard look cut him off. “Let. It. Go.” And then he was gone.

Anakin could only stare after him, a twinge of mistrust working its way into his heart. 

* * *

 

Shortly after the confrontation in the forest camp Obi-Wan sent Asajj an encrypted message:

_This may be my last message for a while. Anakin nearly saw one of our holotransmissions and started asking questions. Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not ashamed of you, not in the slightest. But…well, I don’t have to recite your history with him. I’m afraid he’s growing more suspicious every day. I don’t like keeping secrets from him, but he just wouldn’t understand. I miss the sound of voice already, darling. I’ll contact you as soon as I can. Oh, and I’ll do try my best to stay alive for you._

The following weeks passed without another incident, but Obi-Wan made sure to keep the conversations amongst his forces about the missions at hand. He also made sure to minimize his downtime for two reasons: to not give Anakin another opportunity to barrage him with more questions and to resist the temptation to contact his bonded. He had duties to attend to, and she was more than likely busy hunting down dangerous criminals. They both needed to be on their toes.

So it was when the summons back to the Jedi Temple, some three weeks after the initial incident, came that the knot in his gut turned into a spark of excitement. Outwardly he simply accepted the order in stride, dramatically lamenting having to leave the thrill of battle. Inwardly he couldn’t decide of he was more joyful, anxious, or tense. Even if he had time to slip away from the Council, what if he couldn’t meet with Asajj? As a bounty hunter, if she didn’t work she didn’t eat; he would be loath to interrupt her during a job.

Or worse: what if something had happened to her? He hadn’t heard from her since his final message (either through the holo or their Force link; the distance probably kept the latter communication from being as effective as it could be), and as far as he knew her lightsabers were still locked away in the Temple. He had no doubt she could very well handle herself in a confrontation, but she’d fought so long with her sabers that anything else would only be second rate.

Or even worse: what if she’d changed her mind about him and no longer wanted anything to do with him? That was probably the worst scenario he could imagine. He wouldn’t blame her if that was the case. She’d been forced to see everyone who ever cared about her be ripped away in one way or another. She might have thought it best to distance herself to spare herself that pain again…

Obi-Wan shook the thoughts from his head. Agonizing over hypotheticals wouldn’t do him any good. If she had wanted him out of her life he would have felt it through their bond. They may not have been able to speak to each other over the vast distance, but every now and then feelings not his own would well up inside him and he knew that it was her. Having that tiny connection put his mind at ease.

Besides, Asajj was cunning and discreet. If anyone could survive the Coruscant underworld without a scratch, she could.

A thought of her in his mind and a half-smile on his lips, Obi-Wan descended into Coruscant’s atmosphere.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely happy with the ending of this chapter, but I'm tired of looking at it. Eh. 
> 
> Oh, and the outfit Asajj is wearing in this installment is based on a fanart by chewyli. Just Google "Ventress chewyli" and it's the first result.

The note left on his bed had said to be here at this time. Yet all he saw was a sea of unfamiliar and mostly unfriendly faces. Obi-Wan calmed his anxiousness and found a small spot in the doorway of an abandoned building in which to stand. Hood drawn up and robe swathing his frame, he looked less like a Jedi and more like a vagrant. Good. Then no one would give him a second glance.

_What in blazes is keeping her?_ Although confident in his ‘disguise’, he was very much eager to leave the oppressive crowd as soon as possible. He sent the thought along the glimmering strand of his side of the bond he shared with the person in question, hoping it was heard on the other end (he was still getting used to communicating solely by thought). For a brief but excruciating moment, only his bright blue link pulsed in the Force. Asajj’s deep violet one, though a constant presence even when he was half a galaxy away, remained still and silent. An icy weight sank into his stomach. Had she changed her mind at the last minute?

He was about to turn away and make for the Temple (and his empty bed) when he felt it. A playful brush against his psyche. The mild paranoia of being watched. His heart jumped when he looked to the left…and caught sight of a hooded figure. Nothing out of the ordinary here I the lower levels where half the population wanted to hide their faces. But this one wasn’t scurrying along with the crowd or hawking spice or other illicit items. No, this one stood as still as a statue, head held high, unseen eyes fixed on him. His breath caught in his throat at the intensity pouring from the figure, and a shiver went down his spine as a thought not his own caressed his mind: _Come and get me, my dear._

The smirk had only half formed on his lips when she disappeared into the crowd. A non-Force sensitive may have had a difficult if not impossible task in following the figure, but Obi-Wan had only to latch onto the now-swirling violet aura and his job was half done. Now he just had to remember how to move his feet.

Asajj kept ahead out of sight, but she made sure to keep her Force signature shining like a beacon. She ran the risk of drawing the attention of other Force users, but this far in the lower levels that risk remained incredibly low. She would risk that chance if it meant enticing the only Jedi she cared about right now.

Every now and then she allowed him to catch a glimpse of her, just enough to put a little more speed in his steps. One time he was bumped by a lumbering Gamorrean, his hood briefly falling back. He’d quickly replaced it, hoping no one had recognized him in that split second. But someone had.

Glimpsing his quarry beneath a flickering street post, Obi-Wan saw Asajj’s eyes widen in surprise. She **had** known it was him following her, right? _My, my_ , she whispered through their bond, her aura dripping with sensuality.

He swallowed hard before finding his voice. _Might I inquire as to what has you so speechless, my sweet?_

She chuckled mentally, her dark lips turning up in sultry smile as she vanished once more. _Catch me and maybe I’ll tell you, my darling._

That was all the incentive he needed.

Obi-Wan trailed her for several more minutes until he stood in the shadow of an apartment complex that had probably seen better days. Wider than it was tall, he counted scores of windows on this side alone. There was no telling how many apartments were in the building. Thankfully he had the Force on his side.

Following her glowing aura to the fifth floor, he easily found his target. A nondescript door with chipping paint separated him from his lover (he never thought he’d use that word at all, let alone when describing Asajj Ventress). One thin piece of durasteel. The excitement of the chase paled in comparison to the sudden rush of being so close and yet so far to its end. Taking a breath to steady himself, he waved a hand over the door’s entry pad and stepped inside.

A cursory glance told several tales at once. Hairline cracks in the walls and a dark stain on the ceiling spoke of neglect by the landlord, another commonality in the lower levels. The single bed, flat and thin with no pillow told either of its owner’s discomfort with softer accommodations or the lack of finances to afford better (he suspected the former). The corner littered with permacrete shavings and half-finished carvings suggested a place of escape into art; he’d have to ask about that. The absence of anything else to personalize the room (the apartment was in fact little more than one oversized room meant to serve as bedroom, living area, and kitchen all in one) conveyed no intention of maintaining residence for very long.

There was certainly more to the apartment’s story, but the sight of its occupant was decidedly far more interesting.

Asajj was looking out the sole window through the blinds, ancient devices that went out of style lifetimes ago in favor of the digital ones favored by most everyone of all walks of life, her back to her visitor. Only her tattooed head was visible from the swath of her black robe. She cocked a hip to one side, the movement visible even beneath the cascading fabric. “I was beginning to think you’d lost your way, darling.” An exaggerated roll of her shoulders sent the cloak falling to the floor. Grey fabric stretched taut across her back and shoulders, merging into a long black skirt and sleeves that also served as gloves. Every feminine curve was on display from slender neck to flared hips. Obi-Wan had to consciously remember how to breathe. Perhaps it was the knowledge that this was all a show for his benefit that rendered him wordless. “And what kind of Jedi couldn’t follow such an insultingly easy trail?” She turned.

Obi-Wan swore his heart and lungs had stopped at the sight before him.

Although she was clothed from neck to fingers to feet, the entire center of her torso was exposed by the daringly low (and wide) cut of her bodice. The fabric only barely covered her breasts, descending lower and lower to stop in a curve several inches below her navel. He knew he was openly gawking but he couldn’t help himself. The contrast of so much of her body concealed by the dress with so much flesh tantalizing exposed…

_By the Force…_

Her throaty chuckle sent a tingle through his body like an electric jolt. “Somehow I knew you’d approve, Obi-Wan.” Even the way she said his name affected him. He could only watch helplessly as she leaned her elbows back onto the window’s ledge. The movement forced her hips and chest up, a primal display of sexuality that even a human as civilized as Obi-Wan Kenobi was not immune to. “Are you just going to stare all night?” She lifted her right knee, revealing a smooth thigh through a hip-high split in the skirt that had been hidden until now. “Must I always be the one to take initiative, my dear?”

Swallowing hard for the second time in less than an hour, Obi-Wan came back to himself with a snap. He had to put an end to her cruel teasing…and he knew just the method for it. “Well, it does only seem fair,” he said when he finally found his voice again. He lifted a hand and called on the Force to wrap around his tormentor. She started at the sensation, but forced herself to relax when the invisible tether pulled her away from the window and drew her towards her visitor. “And besides,” he whispered when she stood mere centimeters from him, “you must be exhausted after craving my touch for so long.” The words felt odd coming from him; he wasn’t exactly experienced with this kind of flirtation.

Asajj didn’t seem to mind though. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and slid her lower body against his. “Still so arrogant, Jedi.”

He bent his head to growl his next words into her ear, these coming more naturally than the last: “It’s not arrogance if it’s true, dearest.” Using the Force to turn her around so that her back was pressed against him, he managed to maintain his composure as she laughed again. That laugh died in a sigh when one hand molded to her waist, the other lighting on her throat. His fingers ghosted over the thin skin, lingering on her pulse for a beat. “I do believe I’ve found one weakness, Asajj.” He was proven right by the shuddering gasp wrenched from her when his lips pressed into her neck. “I wonder if there are any more to be discovered.”

Asajj turned her head, her eyes half-closed in pleasure. “You’re going to have to find out on your own. Where’s the fun if I tell you everything?”

Obi-Wan hummed against her skin, his beard leaving darkening patches in his wake, before remembering something. “Speaking of explanations, what were you so surprised by earlier?”

Her answer was a hand rising to his head, fingers burying themselves in the russet strands. “You cut your hair.”

“Do you like it?”

“Not bad, but I liked it better longer.” Her fingers tightened suddenly and pulled him down until her lips brushed over his. “Really gave me something to get a grip on.” He groaned. She smiled.

Obi-Wan carefully removed her hand before she got any more ideas. He had a few of his own that would require his attention and he couldn’t focus if she was going to make good on her implied threat.

Asajj inhaled sharply at the sensation of invisible fingers trailing down her chest. She took a quick inventory of her lover’s hands to assure herself she wasn’t going crazy; his left stroked up her side to the curve of her breast, his right cradling her arm so that his lips could trace her palm, wrist, and fingers. Reaching through their bond, now glowing brightly with the intensity of their combined emotions, she confirmed what had been her first guess: he was using the Force itself to caress her bared skin.

She stared at him in awe. To an outside observer, he would seem entirely intent on her, his eyes closed as he savored the feel of her flesh beneath his palms, her skin teasingly separated from his lips by a single thin layer of supple Rancor leather. All that he was, but he was simultaneously commanding the Force with such precision and care that very few others could manage. And he made it look so effortless. She’d always known how strong in the Force he was, but this was something else. She realized now that all this time, every instance they had crossed lightsabers, he had been holding back. Not in terms of raw power or strength, but in sheer control.

She couldn’t decide if she was more impressed at his skill or annoyed that he hadn’t unleashed his full power before.

The bounty hunter came out of her reverie with a gasp when those phantom fingers slipped under the edge of her neckline and closed over her breast. A quiet curse spilled from her lips, earning her a smug grin against her neck. “It’s not often I can surprise you so, my darling.” His breath pushed her earring against her neck and sent a shiver down her spine. She had no reply despite her instinct to offer a biting rebuttal; his touch, both physical and metaphysical, stole her words and set her skin on fire. “Might I take your silence as encouragement to continue?” As he spoke, his right hand abandoned her arm in favor of more _exotic_ destinations. His fingers pressed gently into the hard bone of her sternum before drifting down to the softer flesh of her abdomen. “Turnabout is fair play, dearest.” She lost all coherent thought when his hand slid further down, pausing for a beat on the long scar that ran across her belly just below her navel, then disappeared beneath the grey fabric.

Obi-Wan’s mouth descended on her neck as her head fell back to his shoulder with a deep sigh. He grunted at the sudden clasp of her hand on his thigh, right over the place where Dooku’s lightsaber had pierced it years before. There was no actual pain, just the memory of it. He pushed it aside and refocused his attentions on the delicate wet flesh beneath his fingertips. Emboldened by her reaction, he tried his hand at verbal seduction once more. “Have you dreamed of this, my darling Asajj? Imagined me touching you just like this?”

She tried to reply but found her throat and tongue quite unable to form the words. _Your mouth could be better used for things other than talking, my dear._

He smirked against her shoulder, drinking in her broken moans and quickened breath as he continued to stroke her mercilessly. _Quite right you are. But how best to use it…_

Her fingers, now trembling, found their way into his hair again. _I can think of one thing…_

Obi-Wan, however, had other ideas. He turned his head into her neck when she tried to pull him in for a kiss. Any other place, any other time he would have acquiesced. But now that he had control in an area that was normally her expertise he wasn’t about to give it up. And despite her unconscious whimper of frustration, he had a feeling she liked it.

While he tormented her neck with sharp nips and soothing sweeps of his tongue and her most sensitive flesh with strong, rhythmic strokes of his talented fingers, he whispered to her through their bond, relishing the spikes in her link when his words hit their mark. _How many nights have you imagined your fingers as my own, lying there in the dark? Or my voice whispering to you through your dreams? I often thought of you, Asajj, nearly to distraction._ A firm press of his fingers punctuated the half-truth and had her back arching away from him, her hips pressing back.

“Liar,” she breathed through a smile. He may have thought about her, but he was far too disciplined, far too good a Jedi to let himself get distracted in the midst of a firefight or hostage negotiation no matter what. “Keep talking.” But that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy the fantasy of it.

“Your command is my wish,” he murmured against the underside of her jaw.

Asajj quickly lost herself in the sensations as they amplified through the Force. Was that his doing as well? It was becoming increasingly hard to tell what sprang from her and what bled over from his own aura. With anyone else she would have been ashamed of the way her body reacted, of the sounds tumbling from her lips. But with this man she couldn’t care less. For just a moment there was no war. No Jedi. No Separatists. No blood-soaked past. No judgment.

So when her body pitched forward, held upright only when his arm shot across her shoulders, and a flash of fire consumed her from the inside out she let it happen without the slightest resistance.

Her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath when that flame finally subsided; the only reason she remained standing was because of his arm still wrapped around her. Several moments passed before she realized Obi-Wan was trying to do the same. Obviously thoughts weren’t the only things they could share through their bond. Her shaking fingers traced the line of his jaw. “Tired already, my darling?”

Obi-Wan inhaled deeply to calm his frantic heartbeat as he slowly withdrew his hand from the warmth between her legs. “No in the slightest, my _sweet_.”

The way he said that one word coupled with the way he licked his fingers clean made something inside her snap. Her post-orgasmic fatigue swiftly forgotten, the former assassin captured his lips with a ferocity that stunned them both. She ignored the taste of herself on his tongue and focused instead on his groans of appreciation and the grip of his hands on her shoulders.

Cool air hit her skin as the edges of her dress were suddenly peeled away, pushed down to her wrists until his quick fingers pulled the softened Rancor leather away. One more pass of his hands pushed the gown from her hips to crumple at her feet.  He gave her no time to savor the feeling, however.

An uncharacteristic squeak of surprise tore from Asajj’s mouth when she found herself lifted from the floor and deposited on her small bed in the blink of an eye. One hand kept the majority of his weight off of her, the other pushing his robe from his back. “Now comes the real fun,” he said with a smirk.

The next moments were agonizingly exquisite, filled with a pleasure so sharp it bordered on pain. Obi-Wan seemed to be everywhere at once. His lips and tongue busied themselves with the still-sensitive flesh between her thighs. Soon enough he pressed a finger inside her, then another, pulling back and pushing forward again and again. That alone had her mind threatening to separate from her body, but when his free hand closed over her breast to tease the nipple into a hardened peak and those two digits curled up inside her she couldn’t bear it.

Asajj bolted upright with a scream that sounded suspiciously like his name. He quickly followed, removing his hands from her as if he’d been burned. “Are you alright?”

Worry colored his voice, a fact that she would have found amusing if she weren’t currently fighting for breath. “Too…much.” It was all she could manage, but it was enough. “Too much.”

She leaned into his palm when he cupped her cheek. Even opening her eyes was too great a task right now. “My apologies,” he said sincerely, a hint of a smile sounding in his voice. He quickly removed his robes and boots so that only his pants remained, then carefully lowered his lover back onto the mattress. Her skin trembled against his as he laid his head on her chest. Her erratic heartbeat was music to his ears as were her gasps. It was almost…meditative.

The unconventional serenity shattered around them when another voice cut through the small apartment. “Hey, you’s okay in there?”

Obi-Wan looked up at her for an explanation. Asajj merely groaned. “Landlord.” She had calmed down enough to summon a small part of the Force to press the call button on her comm unit by the door. “Fine.”

“Y’ur neighbors been callin’ down sayin’ sounds like you’s dyin’.”

“Everything is fine.” Her voice strained with irritation. Obi-Wan suppressed a laugh at that.

“Well, keep it down. Can’ ‘ave people botherin’ me all night.”

“Then tell them to get auditory plugs. I pay my rent like everyone else.” Without waiting for a reply she sent a burst of energy towards the console, the metal and wires caving in until it became nothing but scrap. “And what is so funny?”

Obi-Wan couldn’t help it. He buried his face in the crook of her neck to stifle his laughter. “Nothing, dearest.” When he finally stopped he lifted still-smiling eyes to meet hers. “Now tell me: who is responsible for that dress and when can I shake his or her hand?”

Asajj’s annoyance with her landlord subsided with those words. “I knew you’d like it. It’s always fun to find new ways to shut you up.”

He gave a mock pout in response. “Just a few minutes ago you were encouraging me to keep talking. What a fickle woman you are.”

“A woman is at liberty to change her mind, my dear Obi-Wan. Now you tell me: where the hell did you learn how to do _that_?”

“Well, I do have a very good imagination when it comes to you, darling.”

A shared laugh, a wave of affection rippling through the Force, and a long comfortable silence. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and wrapped himself and her in the Force, almost drifting to sleep in contentment. Asajj stared at the ceiling. “How long can you stay?”

The words were whispered so softly he almost didn’t hear them. He didn’t want to think about leaving just yet, but it was a fair enough question. “’Til dawn.” His arms tightened around her as if staving off reality. “Then it’s back to the glorious life of leading the war.” An idea, one that had been buzzing around in his head for some time, sprang out of his mouth before he could stop it. “You could come with me.”

Asajj tensed. Part of her wanted nothing more than to be with him, to see where this bonded life would take them both. But her rational side stomped down that daydream with brutal honesty: he would never leave the Jedi, especially not for her, and she would never be accepted by them. And after so many years of seeing the hypocrisy of the Order and how the Jedi refused to evolve with the changing times she didn’t particularly want anything to do with them either. “That wouldn’t be a good idea.”

Obi-Wan raised himself up just enough to meet her eyes. He wanted her to see how sincere and honest he was. “If you’re worried about the Council, I’ll vouch for you. They would at least hear your side…”

“And Skywalker?” The name tasted bitter on her tongue and came out like a lead weight. “Your precious Chosen One wouldn’t exactly welcome me with open arms.”

“Anakin wouldn’t understand at first, but he’d come around.”

“Right. Just like the Sith Lord controlling this war will stop being a Sith if you could talk to him for five minutes.” She shook her head, one hand going to his cheek as if she were speaking to a child. “I appreciate your concern, but the answer’s always going to be no.”

Obi-Wan avoided her gaze at those words. “’Always’ is a very long time.” He was disappointed, yes, but he knew not to push her. If he kept looking at her he would have ignored that little voice telling him to stop while he was ahead and continued pleading his case. Instead he glanced down at the scar slicing a pale line across her abdomen. It had come from his lightsaber on Ord Cestus a lifetime ago. His fingers traced the clean line, sadness coloring his face and his Force signature. “I gave this to you.”

“I remember very clearly. And don’t apologize for it. If you hadn’t defended yourself I would have thought much less of you.” She tried to make her tone lighter. It only barely worked.

“It’s not that. I’m more sorry I couldn’t reach you before our battle came to it.”

Asajj pulled his head up none too gently, her lips turned down in a frown. “Are you ever going to stop blaming yourself for things out of your control? We fought, I missed a block, and now I have a reminder of my failure to never let it happen again. What’s done is done.”

He offered a tentative smile, taking one of her hands in his and pressing a kiss to the palm. “Now you’re sounding like a Jedi, my sweet.”

She gave a dramatic shudder. “Don’t insult me, Obi-Wan.” Her playful expression assured him she did not truly take offense, though he would be wise to not repeat that in the future. Her body shifted beneath him, her legs finding their way around his thighs and her arms around his neck. “Now that we’re done with this dreary talk, dawn is still so far away. However are we to pass the time until then?”

Obi-Wan answered with a devilish smile. “I have a few ideas…”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I had a computer snafu and lost most all of what I'd written and just lost all motivation to continue it when I realized how crappy the rewrite was. I'm still not 100% pleased with it, but I'm too tired to go back over it again.

Seven. That’s how many marks Asajj found on her body the next morning. Like the scars that marred her skin, these marks each had a story to tell, a memory. Unlike the scars, however, these stories were not borne out of rage, hatred, and violence. These were the products of passion and fiery desire. She smiled softly as she traced each one.

This one on her shoulder had blossomed when she’d surprised Obi-Wan mid-kiss with a sharp nip to his earlobe. This one in the hollow of her throat was punishment for that nip. Her breast bore a discolored patch of flesh from when she’d encouraged his merciless suckling. Her favorites, though, were the ones on her neck and hip. The former was a perfect imprint of his teeth, so deep he’d almost broken the skin (a more savage part of her wished he had). The latter was actually a set: five dark strips wrapped around her hip bone. These bruises were a reminder of his physical strength (as if she could ever forget) and would more than likely last long after the others had faded. After all, he’d given them to her in the midst of a powerful orgasm that had left them both shaking uncontrollably and without breath or thought for what had seemed to be hours.

Despite the force of his passion and the evidence left behind, he still had yet to lose himself completely. He always withheld a part of himself, whether from fear of harming her or not being able to find his way back to his Jedi sensibilities. Possibly both. Well, she would just have to prove him wrong on both counts. Not only was she not some delicate glass figurine that would shatter at the slightest touch, but she could show him that losing control every now and then in such a way could be rather…fun. He wouldn’t lose his sanity unless he really wanted to.

Asajj snickered to herself at the thought and resumed dressing. As each mark disappeared from view she lamented the fact that they would fade in a few days. She quite enjoyed having a visual reminder of her lover succumbing to carnal pleasure. But no matter. She took more pleasure in thinking of how the marks she’d left on Obi-Wan’s skin would last far longer than the ones he’d gifted to her. Her lips turned up in a half-smirk as she closed the door behind her. She left thoughts of Obi-Wan behind in the privacy of her apartment and replaced them with focus on her latest job.

* * *

“So, how long have you been getting laid?”

The calm and gentle flow of the Force that surrounded Obi-Wan during his meditation screeched to a halt and shattered like a sheet of glass. “I beg your pardon?” he sputtered.

“Hey, no need to hide it, my friend,” Vos said easily, a smile threatening to break out on his face. “Nothing to be ashamed of. Unless she looks like a Hutt.” A mad gleam sparked in his eyes. “ _Does she?_ ”

Obi-Wan refused to take the bait. He rose from his seat in the co-pilot’s chair and strode past the other Jedi with a muttered, “I’m not talking about this.”

Quinlan Vos, never one to pass up an opportunity to rile up “the unflappable” General Kenobi, set the ship to autopilot and followed. “Hey, I was kidding! Come on, I’m serious. It’s not a big deal to let off steam every once in a while, especially if she’s pretty enough.”

“I have done nothing of the sort and I’ll thank you to drop the subject right now.”

“So, she’s not pretty?” Obi-Wan stopped and turned to give Vos what he thought must have been a frightening glare; all it did was make the Kiffar even more determined. “You’ve got to give me something, Kenobi.”

“There’s nothing to ‘give’, Vos, so let it go,” he said harshly as he entered the small sleeping quarters and sat on the edge of the bed. Vos stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and smug grin on his face; he knew he had the other man trapped. Obi-Wan hoped whoever had designed this ship without interior doors was enjoying a nice long stay in the belly of a sarlaac.

“If you don’t tell me I’m just going to start guessing.” Silence. “Alright then. Given your bleeding heart, I’m willing to bet she actually _is_ a Hutt…”

“Do you ever shut up?”

“Not when it’s something this interesting. What must having sex with a Hutt be like? A lot of slime involved, I think…”

Obi-Wan suppressed a shudder at the unbidden mental image. “If I don’t deny that there is someone, will you stop talking?”

“So there _is_ someone! Congratulations, old man. Didn’t know you had it in you.” The harsh teasing in Vos’s voice gave way to genuine concern and curiosity. “But I’ve got to say I didn’t peg you as one for casual sex. You know, the whole ‘no attachment’ thing.”

Obi-Wan released a mental sigh. “It’s not like that…wait, how did you even know?”

“It’s in your walk.” Vos said it so simply and easily as if it were the most obvious thing in the galaxy.

“My walk?” Obi-Wan snorted.

“Every guy walks differently when he gets some ‘special attention’; like a spring in his step. In your case, you stand a little straighter and move your shoulders more when you walk. So either you were promoted to Grand Master this morning, or you’ve been spending your free time in the arms of some voluptuous vixen.”

_Blast._ He couldn’t believe he was actually being analyzed by Quinlan Vos of all people. And what made it worse was the fact that he was right.

“Does your Padawan approve of her?” For a brief, imperceptible second Obi-Wan looked stricken. Vos saw it. “Ohhhh, he doesn’t know. This is great! Obi-Wan Kenobi has a secret girlfriend and not even the mighty Chosen One knows who she is!”

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to tell Vos off (again), but was cut off by the blaring of the external proximity sirens. “Looks like we’ve got some company, old man,” the Kiffar shouted joyously over the klaxons, clapping his comrade on the back with a sound _smack_. “Let’s go give our Seppie visitors a warm welcome!”

Vos was in too much of a hurry to blast enemy fighters from space to notice Obi-Wan’s pained expression or the tensing of his shoulders. He couldn’t have known about the eight long scratches that scored his back, nor that they had only recently started to heal over. While Obi-Wan had relished the pain when he had received them, he didn’t appreciate someone else causing it to return, even unknowingly.

He took a deep breath to ease the sting before standing and making his way back to the cockpit. He made a mental note to be more careful of how he acted around Vos; one moment of distraction and he’d be in for another interrogation.

* * *

Obi-Wan laid himself on his bed lost in thought. As soon as he and Vos had returned to the Temple, he’d excused himself before Vos could object, leaving the other man to give his full report to the Council alone. Their mission had been only barely productive (true, they did take down a number of Separatist ships that had gotten separated from their unit) and on the way back to Coruscant he’d worried that Vos would resume his obnoxiously determined line of questioning. Obi-Wan was not a good liar, and Quinlan Vos seemed to know exactly how to push his buttons. A dangerous combination to be sure, not so much for himself but for the one he was trying desperately to protect.

Thoughts of Asajj began to fill his head. Annoying as he was, Vos had brought up a subject Obi-Wan had forgotten about: Master Yoda knew about her. And now Anakin suspected he was seeing someone, and Vos knew everything except her name.

Running a hand over his face, Obi-Wan tried to think of a way to start that particular conversation. Asajj had every right to know that their secret relationship was no longer secret, that it hadn’t been since Day One. He doubted she would be thrilled with the news.

And what would he do afterwards? He wanted to protect her from discovery (and subsequent execution), but to do so would require abandoning her altogether. Given her track record of those she loved leaving her to her own devices that simply was not an option, not in the slightest. He certainly wasn’t going to be the cause of more heartache for her if he could help it. He refused. And he certainly couldn’t deny his own attachment to her, Force bond or not. He hesitated to put a name to his feelings, but they were stronger than simple friendship or compassion. Which put him right back at Square One.

Obi-Wan was drawn out of his thoughts by a soft _thump_ and a teasing brush across his mind. “You seem troubled, my dear,” she purred as she approached. “I believe I can fix that.”

He stood and braced himself. He had to do this _now_. “Asajj-“

Her lips sealing over his and her hands going to his hair stole the words from his mouth. “Perhaps a few hours in bed can ease your mind,” she whispered throatily.

The sound sent a shiver down his spine. “Asajj, listen-“

“Or against a wall.” She bit at his lower lip before licking the sting away.

Obi-Wan grasped her arms in an attempt to make her listen. “Darling, there’s something you need to hear.”

“You mean besides you begging for more of my tender ministrations?” Her fingers fanned out around his neck before trailing down to his chest. “I’d settle for basic moans and growls, but I’ll take what I can get.”

“Asajj-“

“Kenobi.” All playfulness vanished from her tone. Her fingertips dug into his chest through his tunic as if anchoring herself to him. Only now did she raise her eyes to meet his. “Do you notice how I keep interrupting you? It’s because I know whatever you’re going to say is going to be unpleasant and I don’t want to hear it. I’ve already lost my target today; I don’t need more bad news. Alright?”

She leaned in to kiss him again, but he blurted out, “Yoda knows.”

Asajj froze. She slowly drew back to stare flatly at him. “What?”

“Master Yoda knows about you…about us.” He watched her eyes carefully, looking for any slight change. He wasn’t disappointed; a multitude of emotions swam in her gaze and through the Force all at once. Confusion, comprehension, shock, anxiety, apprehension, anger, fear. Obi-Wan sighed heavily. This wasn’t how he had expected this conversation to start.

“What do you mean ‘Yoda knows’?” Her voice was as icy as Hoth itself and sent a chill through him. Even more disturbing was the fact that she had not moved since he revealed the truth.

He quickly took her hands in his, noticing how they trembled. “He’s known since the first night you stole into my room. When we…when our Force bond was created, he knew. That was why he summoned me the next morning.”

“And what did he say.” She didn’t phrase it as a question.

“Just that he was happy that I was…happy, but I needed to be mindful to not let my feelings for you override my judgement or my duty as a Jedi.” There. It was said. Now he just needed to weather her reaction.

Asajj was silent for a long moment. She could have been carved from stone, so still she was. Only her deep, slow breaths betrayed the fact that she was in fact living flesh and blood. A thousand thoughts went through her mind, all of them hard to digest. If the Jedi Grand Master knew of the relationship between a former Sith assassin and one of the Order’s most celebrated heroes, what would that mean for them? Were they being watched every time they met? Were their sparse communications being monitored to ensure she wasn’t using him to gain valuable intel? The most painful, traitorous thought of all was the one that whispered that Obi-Wan was using her attraction to him and his pity for her in some ploy for the Republic, that he didn’t really care about her at all.

She forcefully shoved the vile idea away. He wouldn’t do that to her, or to anyone for that matter. She was bonded to him through the Force, and while the all-encompassing entity could be warped and distorted by powerful Masters, there was no faking what she felt from him. He was completely open to her, and she to him. She dismissed the notion, but after a lifetime of betrayal and abandonment she had a hard time letting it go completely.

But there was a more pressing question that needed answering: “Does anyone else know?”

His hesitation gave her her answer before his lips formed the words. “They don’t _know_ , exactly, but they suspect.”

She focused at a spot on the wall over his shoulder and made her voice hard, anything to keep the unbidden feelings of betrayal and fear from surfacing. “ _Who?_ ”

“Anakin-“ his chest constricted when she flicnhed at the name “-and Quinlan Vos. They don’t know it’s you, my darling, and they don’t even know the details.” He grew worried when she didn’t react at all after hearing Anakin’s name. She had gone stone-still. He cupped her face in his hands and willed her to look at him; she didn’t. “They _suspect_ is all, Asajj. I told them nothing. I’m so sorry. I’ve not hidden my feelings very well-“

“No, you apparently haven’t.” His heart cracked at the deadness in her voice and the sensation of her side of their bond going silent. She’d cut herself off from him. “Who else knows?”

“No one.” He wasn’t ashamed of how desperate he sounded in that moment.

“Really. If two Jedi figured it out, it stands to reason that others have as well.” She tried to pull away but his grip remained strong, one arm going around her waist. “Let me go.”

“Asajj, please. I swear to you I didn’t intend for this to happen.”

“But it did!” Now her fury found its way to the surface. She forcibly removed his hands from her face and shoved him back. “I knew this was a mistake. I came to you for help and what has it gotten me? Another reason to constantly look over my shoulder. How do I know your Jedi friends aren’t following me home every night? How do I know they’re not watching or listening right now? I’ve tried so hard to keep whatever this is between us solely between us and you couldn’t afford to do the same?” She was pacing now, her strides quick and angry and hurt. Obi-Wan could do nothing but let her give voice to her emotions; it broke his heart to be so helpless and have her think that he’d betrayed her, that he didn’t truly care for her. “How do I know my door won’t be cut in half with a lightsaber any day now? Was this all just some kind of game to you? Something to keep you occupied between missions for your corrupted Order and Republic? Did you ever once think of how this would end for me if I was exposed? You, the great General Kenobi, would be forgiven. ‘Oh, he was seduced by the Dark Side. The Sith witch poisoned him and made him do it. He wasn’t in his right mind. So let’s execute her to keep her from doing it to any other Jedi.’”

He had to speak, had to keep her from believing such thoughts. “That’s not true!”

“Yes, it is!” she screamed. Hot tears of anger, shame, and hurt poured down her face as she tried to regain control of herself. She only just barely managed. “I can’t…I have to get out of here.”

She had just made it to the window when Obi-Wan lunged. His arms wrapped around her from behind and held her tightly. Tears threatened to spill from his own eyes as he pleaded with her. “Asajj, please. I’m so sorry for this. I did try-“

“Not hard enough, _Kenobi._ ” The use of his surname was like a slap in the face. She hadn’t called him that in earnest for months. “Let go.”

“Not until you promise me you won’t leave.” She trembled in his arms…or was that him? “Please. You know how deeply I care for you. I never wanted this to happen. What can I say, what can I do to make you believe me?”

She remained silent for a long, agonizing moment. When she finally spoke, her voice was broken and thready. It caused him physical pain to hear her speak so. “Nothing. Let me go, or I will make you let go.” With great difficulty, he released her from his embrace but didn’t step back. “Don’t try to contact me for a while. And don’t bother following me to my apartment. I’ll be long gone before you get there.” And with that, she was gone, Obi-Wan reaching out for her helplessly.


	11. 11

Obi-Wan had thrown himself into his mission following the heartbreaking encounter with Asajj several days earlier. Anakin and Cody especially had noticed how his personality had changed, and not for the better, but neither said anything. Thankfully. The mission, a humanitarian aid project to Ryloth, had gone without a hitch (surprisingly). Normally that would have made Obi-Wan happy, but not this time. With that mission over, he wanted another. Something, anything to keep him busy and not berating himself for what had happened with Asajj.

He was severely disappointed when Master Windu had told him there was no pressing need for him to return to the field just yet. He would be more valuable at the Temple providing distance support and advice to various teams throughout the galaxy.

He’d never felt more useless.

It was on the second day of his impromptu grounding that he tried to reach Asajj through their bond. She may have closed herself off from him, but the bond was permanent. For a brief moment, he thought he’d gotten through. He felt her signature pulse against his…until she snapped the link closed as certainly as slamming a door.

Sorrow threatened to consume him then. “I don’t know what to do,” he murmured to the shadows of his room.

_And when has that ever stopped you before, my young Padawan?_

Obi-Wan’s head shot up. “Qui-Gon?”

_Who else?_ The unseen voice seemed to brim with laughter. It definitely sounded like Qui-Gon. _Your emotions are getting the better of you, Obi-Wan. I’m surprised Yoda hasn’t confronted you about it by now._

“I haven’t exactly felt like discussing this with anyone, let alone Master Yoda.”

_Because you feel the need to bear this burden on your own?_

“Because it’s my fault Asajj-“ He quickly cut himself off. Not only was her name painful to say right now, but the entire matter was difficult to give voice to.

Ah, your bondmate. Don’t be so surprised. I may be dead, but I still know what goes on in the mundane world.

“Perfect,” Obi-Wan scoffed. “Now that makes three Jedi who know about her. That’s exactly what drove her away in the first place.”

_No, what drove her away was your delivery of the news._ Qui-Gon’s presence grew serious. _You know how damaged she is, Obi-Wan. You must think things through more carefully when dealing with someone like Asajj Ventress._

“I know that, Master. I’ve replayed everything since she first broke into my room in my head, wondering what I could have done differently to protect her from this. But what good is that? The past can’t be changed.”

_No, it can’t. So, what are you going to do about it_ today _?_

Obi-Wan stood and paced. He really didn’t want a lecture right now, least of all from his deceased Master. “What _can_ I do? She told me not to contact her, and she refuses to open her side of our bond to me. I can’t go out searching for her; when she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be.”

_I ask again: when has that ever stopped you before?_

He nearly shouted in frustration. “What do you want me to do? Go out into the center of the Works and yell for her like calling an animal?”

He couldn’t be certain, but he had the feeling Qui-Gon was laughing at him now. _I wouldn’t go that far; I highly doubt she would appreciate that as well. But you still have her holofrequency, yes?_

Obi-Wan stopped pacing. How much of an idiot was he to not have remembered that sooner? “She’s probably changed it by now.”

_Have you even tried it?_ Silence. _I didn’t think so. You are a brilliant man, Obi-Wan. I couldn’t be prouder of you. But even you can forget such obvious facts every now and then._

Now Qui-Gon was definitely laughing at him. “What if she doesn’t answer? It’s not been very long since…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish that sentence. “She can hold a grudge for a very long time. I doubt she’d even answer.”

How do you know if you never try? From what I know of her, she was once consumed by hatred and pain. But then she found you, and vice versa. You’ve helped her more than you’ll ever know, Obi-Wan. But she knows. She’s been so alone all her life and now she has you. I highly suspect that she will not give up your companionship so easily, not if it means being alone again.

Obi-Wan stared at the floor, one hand stroking his beard in thought. He let out a chuckle when he realized how foolish he’d been. “You’re right, Master, as usual. I just hope you’re right about Asajj.” Finding his comlink in the folds of his robe, he prepared to open a channel to Asajj’s frequency when a sudden thought struck him. “By the way, do I take this little visit as a sign that you approve of our…relationship?”

_Obi-Wan, I have only ever wanted you to be happy. The Jedi Code may have its good points, but it seems to forget that those of us who follow its ideals are still sentient creatures with emotions and weaknesses. And love certainly isn’t a weakness in itself._ Obi-Wan started at the word ‘love’. _Besides, if I didn’t think there was a chance your relationship would overcome something like this I wouldn’t be here. Now stop talking to me and call her. You’ll know what to say. Oh, and you might want to think about some sort of apology gift for her._

Obi-Wan remained still even after Qui-Gon’s presence had faded from his mind. He tried to think, but he couldn’t get past his Master’s last words. And what did he mean by ‘apology gift’? Finally, with what seemed to be a shove through the Force ( _thanks, Qui-Gon_ ), he activated his comlink and waited for a sign that the other end had been opened.

He almost gave up in despair when a much-missed voice cut through the darkness of his room. “Hello, Kenobi.”

He let out an audible breath at the calmness in her voice. At least she wasn’t hissing at him. “Hello, Asajj.”

A silent beat. “What do you want?”

“I…I’m…” _Well, this is going swimmingly._

“Spit it out. Stammering doesn’t become you.”

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. For everything.”

Another beat. “Go on.”

At least she was speaking to him, albeit in clipped tones. It was better than agonizing silence. “For not taking as much care as you did in keeping us a secret. For not telling you about Yoda’s knowledge of your visits sooner. For dropping the news on you the way I did. I know I can’t take back how it happened, but please understand that I thought you had the right to know. I didn’t intend to withhold anything from you, especially not this.” The weight that had settled in his chest now felt considerably lighter that he’d said it. But an unpleasant tingling had started in his gut when she didn’t say anything in response. For a long time. “Asajj? Are you still there?”

“Yeah. I’m here.” He let out a breath, but the long pauses were worrying. Finally, he heard her huff, “I’ve been thinking it over, a lot actually, and I know you did what you thought was right. It’s not entirely your fault we’ve been found out, I suppose. Although you could have done a better job at hiding it.”

He smiled at the familiar teasing in her tone at that. “Am I forgiven then?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Kenobi. I’m still peeved about all of this, especially regarding the Skywalker brat.”

“I’m just grateful you answered your comm,” he breathed sincerely, ignoring the jab at Anakin. “You might make fun of me, but I truly have missed your voice, my darling.”

She laughed, a sound that chased away his fears for good. “Of course you have, my dear.”

Another long pause, this time unburdened by doubt and tension. “Asajj, when can I see you again?”

“I don’t know. I’m still angry with you. And I’m on a job right now.” A shuffling whispered through the comlink, the snap of what must have been a power pack into a blaster. “And I’ve actually got to go now. Target’s in sight.”

“Wait,” he called hurriedly. “Contact me when your job is done. I…have something for you.”

He could almost feel her curiosity through the comlink…or was it through the Force? Was she opening back up to him? “So long as it’s not a lightsaber through the heart or an invitation for a stay in a Republic prison cell, I suppose I can do that. But don’t think you’re forgiven just yet, Kenobi.”

The link went dead before he could reply. He didn’t mind the abrupt end of the conversation. He was just thankful that she had answered and they had talked. It was the first step to healing the rift he had inadvertently caused.

Now the next step was coming up with something to give her as Qui-Gon had suggested. Why he had promised something before actually having it, he didn't know. _Must be that I can’t stand her being angry with me. Now I know how Anakin feels at the mercy of his emotions._

* * *

She contacted him two days later, a smile in her voice; apparently her latest bounty had gone well. They’d agreed to meet in public, in a market several kilometers from both the Temple and the Senate to keep from being recognized. Obi-Wan tried to contain his delight, which wasn’t difficult considering he had been given another assignment by the Council. And he was leaving today.

He hurried through the streets, reaching out through the Force to find his bondmate faster. He had to hurry and return to the Temple before he was missed, along with the gift he had taken for her. His anxiousness almost blinded him to the corner shop they were supposed to meet at. Quickly refocusing, he hid himself in the narrow alley and waited. He didn’t have to wait long.

“So, I’m here,” a voice said to his right. “Make it quick. I’ve got another job waiting.”

Asajj sounded almost bored, her eyes fixed on the half-eaten fruit in her hand. Obi-Wan still smiled at her. “Same here. I just wanted to apologize again-“

“You’ve done that already. Get on with it.”

He didn’t take offense to her tone this time; he knew that it was her way of protecting herself from further emotional harm. He couldn’t say he blamed her. “Well then, I hope this will earn me a place back in your good graces.” He reached under his cloak and unclipped something form his belt. He watched with no shortage of fascination and relief as her expression lost its hardness and her eyes widened in shock. He almost laughed when the fruit fell from her hand to roll away into the shadows.

Asajj’s fingers shook as she gingerly traced the curves and lines of the lightsaber. Was this real? It felt solid, but she still couldn’t wholly believe that this was truly Master Narec’s lightsaber. Obi-Wan had stolen it from her palace on Rattatak when he and Alpha had escaped from her torture. And now he was returning it? _Why?_

“I had no right to take this, but the Order had no right to keep it. It may not be mine to give back, but it belongs at your side, Asajj. Your Master would want you to have it.”

She still hadn’t looked at him, all of her attention focused on the shining hilt as she carefully, reverently lifted it from his hand with both of hers. She lowered her head until her forehead touched the beloved weapon as if in worship of some holy relic. Her eyes shone with tears of happiness and speechless gratitude when she lifted them to his. She closed them before the tears could fall. “I…can’t take this.” She tried to push it back into his hands. “I don’t deserve it.”

Obi-Wan firmly closed her fingers back over the cool metal, keeping them in place with both hands. “Yes, you do. You’ve earned it, my darling. Besides, it would be of much better use in your hands than locked away in some vault in the Temple,” he added with a small laugh.

Now she met his eyes. Without another word, her arms went around his neck and drew him down into a kiss overflowing with thankfulness and deep affection. Now she reopened her side of their bond. Obi-Wan almost staggered at the surge of emotion from her. Instead he wrapped her in a tight embrace and returned her kiss with enthusiasm.

His heart swelled when he saw the smile on her lips as she pulled away, felt the serenity in her Force signature. Her eyes were filled with light when they fluttered open. “If this was a ploy to get me to forgive you faster… it worked.” He kissed her again at those words. Force, he’d missed her taste, her scent, the feel of her body against his. “But don’t you _ever_ do something like that again,” she said when they separated for breath.

“I assure you I’ll do my best to avoid such missteps in the future, my dear,” he laughed.

Asajj leaned into the fingers on her cheek for a brief moment before straightening. “I have to go.”

“Me too.”

Neither moved. Obi-Wan was reluctant to leave the sight of her smile, the joy she projected through the Force. Asajj wanted nothing more than to remain in his arms until the universe ended. But they had duties to attend to, ones that couldn’t be ignored for very long.

A final caress of hands and minds and they broke apart. “I don’t have to tell you how much this means to me, Obi-Wan.”

“I know how much your Master meant to you,” he replied softly.

“I meant your stealing from your precious Temple for me. Perhaps you aren’t as much of a saint as you like to pretend.” She laughed at the stricken look he gave her before a smile turned his mouth up under his beard.  “I do thank you, Obi-Wan. Very much.”

“You are most welcome, my sweet.”

He didn’t miss the lightness in her steps as she turned and walked away into the shadows, lightsaber cradled carefully in her hands, nor the lightness in his as he returned to his speeder. _Thank you, Master Qui-Gon_.


	12. Chapter 12

Two months, several Republic missions, and countless bounties passed before the chance to meet again came around. They didn’t remain idle during that time, however. Throughout the weeks they tested the boundaries of their Force bond and found that it had only grown stronger since she had reopened it in the market on Coruscant. Now distance was no barrier to them; they could communicate as effectively worlds apart as they could when side by side.

Most of the time their exchanges were quick, nothing more than a “goodnight” or “stay safe”. But sometimes they would go further. Asajj was the main culprit, waiting until he confirmed that he was free from the scrutiny of Skywalker and the clones before reminding him of what waited for him back in the Core. Memories of breathless sighs and gasps and merciless, fire-hot touches flooded his mind and left him struggling to not react. Phantom sensations of inquisitive fingers and soft but demanding lips danced over his skin under his robes. He had tried a few times to pay her back in kind, but she always managed to take control from him and have him under her spell once again.

He’d almost slipped up once; he’d been so distracted by a particularly powerful Force sensation that he hadn’t heard a word Anakin had said. “I’m sorry, Anakin. What was that?”

“I said, we’ve been called back to the Temple, Master.” The younger man paused and gave him a thoughtful look. “You seem distracted, Master. Is everything alright?”

“Fine, Anakin. I’ve just been thinking. About the war.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either.

“Right.” Anakin didn’t believe him at all. “Sure you weren’t thinking about your girlfriend?”

Obi-Wan didn’t budge. He was quite proud of himself for that. “There is no ‘girlfriend’, Anakin. I’m wondering why this war seems to be stuck in a deadlock.” He spoke quickly so as not to give Anakin a chance to interrupt. “We secure a victory, the Separatists secure one. We gain another, the Separatists gain another. We’re stonewalled every time we nearly make a breakthrough. We know that the Sith are controlling this conflict, but this seems to be even bigger than we originally believed.”

Anakin let the subject change without much of a fight, but kept the thought in the back of his mind for later. “That’s what war is, Master. You know that. Just when it seems like we’re on the losing end, we end up winning and getting one step closer to ending this whole mess.”

“And that’s what worries me, Anakin.” Obi-Wan was now in full general-mode, one arm crossed over his chest while the other hand stroked his beard. “Neither side is gaining the upper hand. Our forces may be stretched thin, but it shouldn’t be _this_ difficult to discover the puppetmaster and end this war. I fear that the Dark Side’s influence is greater than the Council wants to believe.”

Anakin couldn’t argue with that. It did seem like they were running in circles month after month. And they were still no closer to locating the Sith Lord than they were at the beginning of the war. If they could just kill Grievous or Dooku the whole Separatist army would crumble, the Sith Lord would expose himself, and peace would be restored. But they continued to be outsmarted or outmaneuvered at every turn. It was maddening.

What was even more maddening, however, was the look on Obi-Wan’s face right now. Yes, he was just as frustrated by the ever-changing tide of the war as Anakin was, but there was still something else beneath that. Anakin didn’t like his Master keeping secrets from him (nevermind that he’d been keeping a pretty big one himself for nearly three years). Something kept distracting Obi-Wan and not knowing what it was made Anakin antsy. He had a suspicion it had something to do with whomever he’d been spending time with on Coruscant outside of the Temple, but no solid proof. Now that their latest assignment had been completed and they were on their way back to the capitol, Anakin would find out exactly what was going on.

One way or another.

* * *

Obi-Wan felt her before he even made it to his door. She was just as eager for a reunion as he was. He still had a hard time reconciling the rightness of such a forbidden relationship with the oath he took upon becoming a Knight. But all thought of inner conflict disappeared as he sank into her arms and lost himself in her kiss. All that mattered was the deep affection flooding through their bond, the press of her fingertips into his scalp, the guttural sighs and moans she loosed against his mouth.

They didn’t speak, not even in greeting. Not with words. They let their hands, lips, and Force signatures do all the talking.

He let her take the lead, her deft fingers making quick work of his robes before threading through his hair. No matter how many times she did it, he would never tire of the feeling of sparks shooting from his roots and down his flesh whenever she tugged his hair. The only thing he took control of was the lengthy kiss that hadn’t ended since he’d stepped through the door. His hands cupping her jaws, he purposefully slowed the kiss until she whimpered impatiently beneath him. He only moved his hands lower to the collar of her tunic when he was satisifed she wouldn’t try to devour him…although that could be fun, too…

Once he’d peeled her clothes from her heated skin, he carefully removed his lips from hers. He admired the pale expanse of her body through half-hooded eyes, smirking as he came across the faint remains of the bruises on her neck and hip that had been his gifts to her so long ago. His smirk vanished when he came across a mark he hadn’t been responsible for.

“What happened, my darling?” came his horrified whisper as he gingerly touched the jagged slash across her ribs, just under her left breast. The wound, although already scabbed over, was recent…and deep.

Asajj’s hands closed around his as she glanced down towards the reddened line. “A Twi’lek bounty,” she answered matter-of-factly. “She turned the tables on me when I got too close to catching her. Came up behind me and held a vibroblade to my heart. Luckily for her a scratch was all the damage she was able to cause.”

Obi-Wan still hadn’t looked away from the mark, his thumb brushing over it. “This was a serious wound, Asajj.” How could she be so calm about it?

“Yes, it was.” Her fingers titled his chin up until he met her eyes. “And now it’s not. I handled the target, treated the cut, and moved on to the next job.” She affectionately rolled her eyes when he shook his head. “Stop acting like it’s the end of the galaxy, my dear. Things like this are part of my job description. And yours as well, I might add.”

Obi-Wan sighed heavily, knowing she was right. It still didn’t put him at ease _. You shouldn’t have to risk your life like that_ , he thought, subconsciously sending it across their bond.

Another eyeroll. “Kenobi, stop. I’m a grown woman, not some incompetent youngling. I know the risks going into every job, but what else can I do? I can’t exactly get honest work anywhere near the Core right now, but I’m not leaving until the Sith pulling the strings is taken down.” She removed his hands from the wound and placed them on her hips, her own gently circling his neck. “And when that happens I’ll have more to worry about than some Twi’lek girl with a knife. Now, can we get back to less morbid things…like how badly you want my legs wrapped around your waist?” She leaned in and whispered her next words into his ear- “Or how much you’ve missed this?” -before biting the edge of it.

He shuddered and groaned. Force, he wanted both. He wanted _everything_. “You do have a way with words, my sweet.”

She let out a breathy laugh. “I learned from the best.” Another kiss and all thought of the newest addition to her scar collection was forgotten.

* * *

Anakin had paced in his quarters for hours after he and Obi-Wan had debriefed the Council on their last mission. Something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t necessarily a bad feeling, but it was so out of place and bizarre that he couldn’t shake it. It only seemed to get worse as the night wore on. He couldn’t explain it, but he had a feeling it had something to do with Obi-Wan.

Shoving any misgivings or doubts he might have had aside, he stepped out into the hall and made his way to his Master’s room. They needed to have a talk. _Now._

He didn’t bother knocking; Obi-Wan’s door was almost always unlocked and he’d never once turned Anakin away before. Obi-Wan was nowhere to be seen in the common area…but a noise from the left caught Anakin’s attention. He must have been getting ready for bed or rearranging the few possessions he kept as he was apt to do when he couldn’t sleep. He opened his mouth to call for Obi-Wan, but another sound stopped him. _That’s…not a sound that should be in this room…_

Anakin stood frozen in the doorway of his former master’s bedroom, equal parts smugly proud of the older man for finally giving in to the temptations of the flesh, horrified at having walked in on such a private act, and more than a little irritated; Obi-Wan so often preached about non-attachment and denied having a ‘girlfriend’, and yet here he was in a very un-Jedi-like situation.

The conflicted feelings lingered for the briefest of moments before recognition sparked in Anakin’s eyes. At first he’d just noticed the alluring curve of the woman’s spine (the narrow waist and flared hips most assuredly did not belong to a male of any sentient species) as her hips moved steadily, fluidly over her lover. When his gaze traveled upwards he registered the bald head…then the tattoos.

His hand was on his lightsaber faster than thought, fully intending to kill the witch for this… _violation_. She had somehow poisoned Obi-Wan, drugged him so that he couldn’t fight back. The only thing he could do was grip her hips in an obvious attempt to either cause her pain enough to release him or a futile effort to shove her off of him. It was the only explanation that made sense.

But it wasn’t the way Obi-Wan kissed her when he sat up, like a man dying of thirst and Ventress the life-giving spring that sent him sprinting from the room and down the halls of the Temple. It wasn’t the moans, growls, and whimpers of pleasure that spilled from them both. It wasn’t the way Obi-Wan’s hand cradled her head at the jaw so gently and possessively when his kisses moved to her slender neck. It wasn’t the way Ventress’s nails dragged down his shoulders and arms, leaving behind streaks of red as physical evidence of this waking nightmare. And it wasn’t the throaty, strangled sounds that echoed in the room as each found their release.

The way his friend, his mentor looked at the harpy still astride his lap was only the beginning of the true horror. There was no mistaking the look in his eyes, the exact same look Anakin himself lavished on Padme when they were away from the politics of the war, the Jedi, and the Republic. It was the look of a man in love.

At first Anakin remained still, unnoticed by both Jedi Master and hairless witch. Perhaps this really was nothing more than a nightmare brought on by tainted food or the mental and emotional strain of leading the war. His hopes were dashed when Ventress leaned in to whisper something in Obi-Wan’s ear, something that caused him to push her back and stare at her in shock.

Then it happened: he smiled.

What sent Anakin Skywalker running through the Temple like a man possessed was when Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around her scarred back to hold her against his chest, and returned a barely audible whisper in her own ear: “I love you, too, Asajj.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ermahgerd! Big developments all around! -Kermit flails- Now we're finally getting to move on to the BIG stuff!


	13. Chapter 13

Well before the sun rose on the Jedi Temple, Asajj was awake, showered, and dressed. She had slept deeply ensconced in her lover's arms, but her confession mere hours ago had lingered in her mind until it forced her awake. She had spoken true when she had whispered the words in his ear through her post-orgasmic haze. And his responding admission had lightened her heart beyond imagining.

So why did she not feel as happy as she should have?

Now she sat in the same chair she had once occupied when these nighttime visitations had first started. Rather than look upon the sleeping Jedi with apprehension and no shortage of confusion as to why she was there in the first place, now her gaze was serenely contemplative. Looking at him as he continued to slumber (she'd learned long ago that when he was relaxed he could sleep through a mag-lev train roaring past him), she thought about how quickly and naturally her loathing of the man had grown first to grudging respect, then to friendship and eventually to love.

As a Sith assassin, Dooku had taught her to use her emotions to her advantage, that they were tools to be used for strength, not sinful weaknesses that needed to be stamped out. Of course, he had never taught her about love. That was one emotion that was considered a weakness. To love something was to make oneself vulnerable; enemies would quickly exploit that love and leave one drowning in grief rather than making use of the righteous fury that accompanied loss. And so Dooku had instructed her in the ways to turn her rage, despair, and fear into weapons as potent as her lightsabers. But never love. Not that she had had much time or concern for it. But that was before she was betrayed, left to die alone on a world she had no connection to by the man she had considered a surrogate father after her birth father and first Master had both been taken from her.

Because she hadn't been alone when Dooku turned on her. Despite all evidence to the contrary, only Obi-Wan Kenobi had believed her to still be alive after her defeat in the Coruscant underworld. Only he had searched for her while Dooku experimented on her, seeking a way to enhance her rage and turn her into a more ferocious monster than she had been. Only he had held out hope that she wasn't truly evil.

Asajj almost smiled at the memory. A new question had formed during her silent introspection, one that had begun to bother her almost as much as why she wasn't happy after assuring Obi-Wan of her love and being reassured of his for her: why had he searched for her in the first place? Even if he had sensed she was still alive, why would he care so fiercely that he would track her down to the backwaters of the Outer Rim with Anakin Skywalker in tow? At first she'd thought it was just because she still represented a threat to the Jedi and the Republic and he had wanted to be sure she could never do harm to anyone again. But then she remembered his face as he held her when her life had begun to ebb. He had been genuinely sad at the thought of her passing. When he'd thought that she finally did die, he'd wrapped her in his robe (she'd known it was his when she woke on the _Bright Flight_ ) and ordered her to be given a proper funeral. Why would he do that for an enemy who had shown him nothing but contempt and disgust?

Asajj shook her head when she realized she was scowling. This was not how she wanted to start her morning. Pushing the troubling questions to the back of her mind (because she would indeed ask them later), she instead focused on Obi-Wan. Perhaps it was just the depth and strength of the bond they shared that made her think so, but looking at him now she couldn't deny that he was a particularly beautiful man. His bearded face shone with kindness and intelligence even in sleep. His hair was still mussed from their earlier activities and only added a more primal sexuality to him; he would probably blush if she ever told him that. Even the scars that littered his body did little to detract from his appearance. She knew most of them, having put a few on his skin herself, but the ones on his back not from her fingers were especially mysterious. She had wanted to ask about them before but she'd always been distracted by masterful caresses or scintillating kisses.

A deep sigh from the bed brought Asajj out of her thoughts. Obi-Wan shifted and reached one hand out to where she had lain only moments before. When it closed only on sheets and air, his head lifted from its pillow. She smiled at his sleepy look of confusion before brushing his mind with hers. _I'm still here, darling._

He turned to her with a smile; she would never get tired of seeing him look at her like that. Not that she would admit it, of course. _I'm never going to wake before you, am I?_ he replied. _I'd almost thought you'd pulled one of your famous disappearing acts again._

She didn't miss the hint of sadness in his tone. She rejoined him on the bed, sitting on the edge and letting him grasp one of her hands for a chivalrous kiss. _You thought I'd leave without saying goodbye? After last night?_

_You do have a tendency to be unpredictable, my sweet._ There was no accusation, no resentment. Just a simple statement of fact. The spark in his eyes also kept her from being completely offended; if he truly thought that she would hurt him by vanishing after telling him she loved him he wouldn't look at her with such unabashed love and joy.

Her lips turned up in a half-wicked smile as she nuzzled his cheek with hers. _Unpredictability can sometimes be a good thing. Or have I not already proven that several times over, my love?_

His cheeks colored beneath his beard, both at the new endearment and her less-than-chaste meaning. _That you have, dearest._ He sat up and ran his free hand down her shoulder to her wrist. _I've got a new assignment today. Back in the Outer Rim. I don't know when I'll be able to see you again, but_ – his arms wrapped around her thin frame and pulled her close to his chest, his mouth close to the curve of her neck – "I love you, my darling."

Asajj tensed for a brief moment before relaxing into his embrace and returning it wholeheartedly. There was still a tiny part of her that waited for the illusion to shatter, for a squad of clones or Jedi to burst through the door and thank Obi-Wan for his role in this elaborate ruse to catch her. But then she felt along their bond and knew he was sincere. "This isn't goodbye, Obi-Wan," she breathed against him. "I'm too stubborn to die just yet, and you're too foolhardy to be a victim of a blaster bolt. Too much dumb luck." She reluctantly pulled herself away from his comforting aura, lightly combing his hair back down with her fingers. His eyes fluttered closed at the touch. "You'll come back to me, my dear. You're the only one who's never let me down in that regard."

Obi-Wan brushed the backs of his fingers up her cheek and over the side of her smooth head, ignoring the Sith tattoos still emblazoned on her scalp. "I'll do my best to retain that trust, my sweet."

"You'd better," she replied with a playful grin. "Because if you don't, I know how to find you."

"That you do," he laughed before pulling her close one more time. "Stay safe, Asajj."

A chaste kiss to one corner of his mouth and she was at the window, one booted foot on the edge like so many times before. "Don't I always, my love?"

He remained staring at the window long after she'd gone. He couldn't deny the happiness that settled in his chest every time he looked at her or thought of her now. He'd never felt as if he'd been lacking before; he'd always had the camaraderie of and sense of community with the Jedi to keep him company. For the better part of his life he'd had the tutelage of Qui-Gon Jinn and the apprenticeship of Anakin; those two were more family to him than anyone else he'd ever met.

And then Asajj had come into his life. At first she'd been little more than another enemy. As he'd come to learn more about her, however, the more he'd believed that she could be saved from the lure of the Dark Side. That belief had led him into obsession after Anakin had reported her dead. He still didn't fully understand why he had staunchly refused to accept his former Padawan's report, but he was now glad he did. If he had taken Anakin at his word, Asajj Ventress would still be in the service of Count Dooku and in all likelihood beyond all redemption. Dooku would have used her as a second Grievous and sent her to destroy entire planets just as she had the moon of Ohma-D'un.

He gave thanks to the Force that that fate had been avoided by his stubbornness. Perhaps that was when their bond had first began to form. Or perhaps it had started even earlier than that. Whatever the case, she had since renounced her allegiance to the Dark Side and now occupied a very special place in his heart.

Which led to his current problematic situation. He wasn't lying when he said he loved her, when he whispered his fantasies into her ear in the dark of the night. He'd loved before, had loved deeply, but this was something entirely different. All those previous times, he had given serious thought to leaving the Order if the woman in question had asked, but fate had had other plans.

Cerasi and Siri had been his first loves. Cerasi had died in his arms just after he had decided to abandon the Jedi. Siri had chosen the Order, as had Obi-Wan, over their own wants. She had died shortly afterwards as well. And then he had met Satine. Looking back now, he knew he had truly loved her. But they had their own destinies and paths to walk, neither to intertwine the way they had hoped. When they had met again during the war, that spark had still been there, but Obi-Wan knew that he had moved beyond romantic love for the Duchess. He cherished the memory of their time together, but that was it. He had still loved her, but in a different way than the impulsive passion of youth. Her death had still hit him hard, however. After he had defeated Maul for good, he grieved for her as another life that should not have been so cut short.

Obi-Wan had begun to wonder if perhaps the problem lay with him that everyone he loved and had been loved by had suffered tragic deaths: Qui-Gon, Cerasi, Siri, Satine. And all of them had died in his arms. It was like some great cosmic joke at his expense, one that he didn't find the least bit funny.

Then there was Asajj. He had held her as she died as well, but had returned from the dead (or had she really been dead at all?). He would be lying if he said he had never felt an attraction to her before her appearance in his bedroom all those months ago; he had simply been able to push it aside and remember who and what they both were. But when they started talking, _really_ talking, he had begun to see a side to the former assassin that he was sure no one else even imagined existed: a passionate, sensitive, gifted, beautiful woman who wanted only to spare herself further heartbreak by any means necessary. Somehow, the Force had seen fit to join them together with a bond so profound and strong that he doubted it would ever be broken by anything short of outright betrayal, something he fully intended to spare Asajj even if it meant his life.

He did love her deeply. He had been honest when he'd told Master Yoda that he was happy with her. And yet, in his happiness with Asajj, he felt as if he were betraying everything he had ever believed, the vows of the Jedi he had sworn to uphold. He felt very much a hypocrite every time he rendezvoused with his lover; he was always reminding Anakin of the danger of such relationships, always reprimanding him when he spoke of Padme too fondly. But then he turned right around and found himself in love with a woman who had once sworn to have his head. What did that say about him as a teacher, as a Jedi, as a friend?

_That you are a failure at each of them,_ a voice hissed inside his head. He knew that voice well: it was his own, the one he reserved for his moments of guilt and self-loathing. _Who are you to deny Anakin such happiness while you indulge yourself?_

He tried to shut out that voice, but he couldn't shut out the plain truth: he was indeed a failure in every regard.

So what do you intend to do about it? You've got two choices: the Order, or your lover.

Were those really his only choices? Master Yoda had all but approved of the relationship, so long as he didn't allow it to override his judgment and interfere with his duties as a Jedi and member of the High Council. Perhaps he should speak to the Grand Master before he left to give voice to his concerns. The Jedi Order had been his whole life, but the Force seemed to think he was in need of something else with Asajj. Could he have both, or would he have to choose? Turning his back on Asajj was absolutely out of the question; he would not let her drown in grief again, let alone by his own doing. Leaving the Order was also not an option. At least not willingly. If his relationship with Asajj were to be discovered, he would surely be stripped of his status, his title, and thrown out of the Order. Could he truly live with that?

_Stop it,_ he chastised himself. _These thoughts aren't productive. Get your mind ready for your mission, not personal problems._

Shoving everything else aside, he centered himself in the Force before dressing. _The Force can never make things easy, can it?_ he thought wistfully. At least once he met up with Anakin and Rex everything would be simpler…for a time, at least.

* * *

 Horror. Betrayal. Anger. Helplessness. Fury.

It was actually amazing that no one in the Temple sensed the swirl of emotions clashing together like thunderheads in Anakin Skywalker's quarters. A small part of him was astonished at the ferocity of his feelings; the larger part was too far beyond caring.

How could this have happened? How did Ventress not only manage to sneak into the Temple, but into Obi-Wan's bedroom? How was she even alive? How did she manage to overpower a Jedi Master in such a way? Anakin had seen the look in his mentor's eyes when the harpy was still on top of him, had felt the honesty in his former Master's Force signature as he whispered those once-sacred, now-desecrated words to the Sith witch. It was…indisputably real. But Obi-Wan would never voluntarily submit to such "base emotions", unless under extreme duress.

Ventress had poisoned him, or else had put him under some kind of dark spell. It was the only way Anakin could make sense of what he had seen and heard.

His emotions came together into an almost-solid thing as his brain put the pieces into place. Ventress had cheated death yet again somehow and used some kind of illusion spell to get past the Temple's security. She had stolen into Obi-Wan's room and used dark magicks to control him in body and mind. And she had used some kind of spell or poison to…he couldn't even complete the thought lest the image of her violating his Master resurface in his mind's eye.

She had accomplished her goal. She had hated Obi-Wan since they first met. She'd always had it out for him. Obi-Wan was always naïve when it came to Ventress; he had thought she could be redeemed, that she just needed someone to help her heal from the loss of her first Master. But Anakin had always known the truth of her: she was evil made flesh. She would never relinquish the Dark Side. She would always search for a way to torture and maim anyone she saw as a threat. She did it to Obi-Wan and Alpha once. But that had been physical.

_This_ was her final revenge. Whatever she had blamed Obi-Wan for all this time, now she had gotten her payback. This wasn't some mere torture of the flesh like a lightwhip across the back or a vicious beating with hands and feet. What she had done was the ultimate violation of body and soul. She had torn a Jedi Master from his convictions and his faith in the Code.

Anakin didn't blame Obi-Wan; how could he blame the victim of such a heinous crime? Whatever she'd done to him, he wasn't to blame. Ventress would pay dearly this. But how best to bring her to justice and free Obi-Wan from her hold?

With a mind clear of confusion and blind rage, Anakin sat on his bed and contemplated every possible option…including ones that the Council may not entirely approve of. He would see the witch burn for everything she had done, everyone she had made suffer, but most especially for this. He didn't care if anyone else thought him in the wrong for wanting revenge. If anyone else had seen what he'd seen, they would surely do the same. It was the only way to deal with Ventress for good. The sooner the galaxy was free of her, the better.


	14. Chapter 14

Obi-Wan felt a disturbance in the Force as he stepped outside his room. It was gone as quick as it had come, but he couldn’t shake the feeling even when he greeted Anakin outside the younger man’s quarters. “Is everything alright, Anakin?”

“Just fine. Why do you ask?”

He said it almost too plainly. Obi-Wan gave him a look, but said nothing about it. “Nothing. No reason.”

“Is everything alright with you, Master?”

“Perfectly. Why do _you_ ask?”

“No reason.” They walked in awkward silence for several moments, Anakin purposefully calm, Obi-Wan growing more anxious by the second. “Master, if there were anything troubling you, you’d tell me, right?”

Obi-Wan halted in his tracks and turned to face Anakin directly. “Of course. You know that.”

Anakin kept walking, forcing Obi-Wan to follow. “It’s just that you seemed a little upset about something a couple months ago, and now something’s on your mind again. I just want you to know that I’m here if you ever want to talk.”

Obi-Wan chuckled lightly. “Since when have you become more like a teacher than a student, Anakin? It’s a bit unnerving.”

“I have my moments, Master.” He kept his voice light and controlled, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by his former teacher.  Something was off0balance here, but Obi-Wan couldn't quite put his finger on it.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Anakin.”

The awkwardness began to resurface the longer they walked. Obi-Wan was puzzled by Anakin’s sudden maturity and concern for his feelings while Anakin was frustrated with his Master’s evasion. It had to have been a side effect of whatever poison the Sith witch had used on him. Was she controlling him even now? Was that even possible?

Both men were thankful when Rex caught up with them on the Temple's landing pad and kept the focus away from each other. The anticipation of the upcoming mission helped rebuild the façade of “old times”. When they were on assignment, things were much simpler. Everything was as it should be when the only things to worry about were battle droids.

* * *

Asajj kept to the shadows as she crept through the bowels of the Works. Every bit of information she had gathered over the past weeks had led her to this abandoned warehouse in the heart of the Coruscant slums. Shadowy figures skulking around in the dead of night. Mysterious starfighters flying low over the underbelly of the Jewel of the Core and disappearing in the same spot every time. True, the majority of her intel had come from less than reliable sources (constantly-inebriated barflies, half-crazed miscreants, amoral mercenaries), but there was no mistaking the fear that had radiated from every one of them as they talked, eager to purge themselves of the unwanted knowledge (or boast to feed their own senses of worth to an exotic female such as Asajj Ventress). Fear she had learned to read long ago, a skill that had served her well in surviving her employ with the Sith. Learning to differentiate between a prisoner telling the truth and one who would say anything to save his own life had spared her unspeakable punishment on more than one occasion. Fear was a most powerful motivator in her experience.

She shook her head clear of those intrusive thoughts. She had a job to do and lingering on the past wouldn't do her the slightest bit of good. She needed all of her wits about her before she entered the warehouse. Even without the lingering stink of the Dark Side surrounding the building she knew something was not right with this place. People avoided the area even if it meant going blocks out of their way to get to their destinations. Animals, including the near-fearless spire falcons she so admired, were nowhere to be seen or heard. An eerie silence enshrouded the entire facility as if it were holding its breath, waiting for someone or something to pop the bubble that had formed around it. All that would have been enough to unnerve her if she were a weaker woman.

But she wasn't some cowering damsel afraid of every disembodied sound or passing shadow.

Asajj took a quick glance around to be sure she was indeed alone before lifting the metal grate at the base of the warehouse and slipping inside. The air became thicker and heavier the further she traveled into the depths of the cavernous building. Many storage facilities and factories housed the bulk of their floor plans below street level as a way of protecting their contents, making them perfect for clandestine and sinister meetings once the original owners cleared out. If the building were no longer in operation, so much the better for those who didn't want their activities seen by hapless passersby. _Seems the Sith have more in common with everyday lowlifes than they want to believe._

The darkness seemed to become more suffocating the deeper Asajj went. She closed the visor on her helmet and switched to night vision. At least she could breathe a bit easier now even if the skin on the back of her neck refused to stop tingling. Visually, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The floors and walls were bare of anything of use, probably scavenged long ago. The thin layer of fine dust bore no traces of prints of any kind. Infrared, thermal imaging, visible and UV light. Nothing showed anything worth her notice. The only thing that kept her from calling the trip a waste of time was the overwhelming feeling that she was meant to be here, that someone else extremely powerful in the Dark Side of the Force had been here recently, and frequently.

Perhaps if she waited around long enough she would be able to identify the unknown person or persons...

_There._ A sense of dreaded familiarity descended on her without warning. She recognized that residual Force signature. Every trauma, every memory of torture and punishment flooded back to her in that instant. _Of course,_ she thought as she raced back through the warehouse until she was once more out in the street in the fading light of day. _How could I not have seen this before? How could I be so stupid!_

She took a moment to catch her breath and calm her mind before reaching out through the Force to Obi-Wan. He didn't respond. He must have been focused on his current mission; she tended to close herself off as well when she was busy. _Of course. The one time I have something critical and he's too busy to answer._ She bit back a snort of mild irritation at herself (and a little at Obi-Wan) and reached for her comlink.

The small device beeped just as her fingers closed around it. She had a text message. She walked quickly as she read it on her portable datapad, eager to put that Force signature and the sickly stench of the Dark Side behind her as fast as possible.

_Heading back to the Temple soon,_ it read. _Will you meet me there?_

Odd. Why was he messaging her instead of simply using their bond? Still shaken by her excursion she didn't linger on the question too long. _Yes, ASAP. I have something important to tell you._ She wanted to tell him now, but she couldn’t risk the message being intercepted, especially before she confirmed anything of substance.

_Same. Tomorrow morning?_

_Perfect._

That gave her just enough time to gather her courage and go back to that subterranean room. She had to try to find more evidence of whom Dooku was meeting and why. If she could, then maybe this war would be one step closer to over.

* * *

“Looks like that takes care of that.” Rex fired one more blaster bolt just to be sure the battle droid at his feet wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon. “We're done over here, sir,” he said into his helmet comm. “Heading over to the southern flank to take out the rest.”

“Understood, Captain,” Obi-Wan replied from the command ship orbiting Adriana, an Outer Rim world neighboring Tatooine. “Try to leave a few for Anakin and myself when we get down there.”

“No promises, sir,” Rex responded with what sounded like a smile. “The boys are having too much fun turning these clankers into scrap.”

Obi-Wan allowed himself a small grin at the Captain's remark before turning to the commanding officer of the _Destroyer-_ class vessel. “Admiral Tencho, I believe our work is almost done. You can send your men back home while we finishing the clean-up here.”

“With respect, Master Jedi,” the older man said, “I believe we'll stay until every Separatist and CIS droid is confirmed dead or out of the system.”

The Jedi shrugged. “As you wish, Admiral.”

“Master, if you've got everything under control I'd like to return to the Temple.”

Obi-Wan's eyes widened in surprise. “Whatever for, Anakin? I thought this was one of your favorite parts of these missions.”

“There's never enough fun left between you and Rex. Sometimes I think you two mow down more droids than usual just to spite me.” He offered a smile to show he wasn't serious, but something about the expression seemed off to Obi-Wan. “Besides,” he added in an almost-shameful whisper, “I hear there's a new starfighter model being unveiled tomorrow. And you know how bad the lag from the Core is all the way out here.”

Obi-Wan eyed his former student with exaggerated suspicion. “Are you absolutely sure you're the same Anakin Skywalker I've known for years and not some kind of replicant droid?” He chuckled at the startled look on Anakin’s face. “I’m joking. If you’d rather look at a new flying death trap than leave your personal calling card on this Separatist contingent, by all means.”

“Thank you, Master,” Anakin said with a nod. He turned to leave the bridge but just as quickly turned back. “Oh, by the way, I think this is your comlink. You must have dropped it.”

Obi-Wan blinked in mild confusion as he took it from the younger man’s hand. “I didn’t even realize it was missing.”

“I’m telling you, Obi-Wan. You’re getting forgetful in your old age.”

Both smiled. “ _There’s_ the Anakin I know, much as I hate to admit it.”

One Jedi entered Adriana’s gravity well while the other sped away from the newly-freed planet. The former focused himself in the Force as he landed, explaining his comrade’s absence to Captain Rex with a simple, “Something else came up”. The latter focused on his new plan for justice for his Master. He wouldn’t be able to help Obi-Wan directly; he was still too ensnared in the witch's scheme. He’d have to go to the source…or bring the source to him.

The trap was set. The bait was laid. All that was left was to make it to Coruscant by local morning and make sure Obi-Wan remained distracted on Adriana just long enough to put Ventress in chains. Anakin hoped he would be allowed to relieve her of her head before she could harm Obi-Wan any further.

With that thought in mind, he allowed himself a self-satisfied smile as his starfighter jumped into hyperspace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Admiral Tencho is not a canon character. I just needed someone to fill that role and I didn't feel like using Yularen. Adriana is a canon planet neighboring Tatooine in the Outer Rim.


	15. Chapter 15

He could feel her approaching the Temple. Her Force signature was unmistakable: full of deceit, evil, and Darkness. “Death” hadn’t changed her at all. She couldn’t ever defeat Obi-Wan in fair combat, so she resorted to black magic to try to break him. Anakin would sooner die than see his Master, his oldest friend at her mercy once again. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. She wouldn’t be long for this life once she stepped into the Temple. This time he’d make sure she was really dead before turning his back on her again.

* * *

Asajj never felt the shift in the Force as she scaled the outer wall of the Jedi Temple. Her excitement at what she’d discovered in the bowels of Coruscant’s underworld overrode her usual caution. She cursed herself and her foolishness the moment her boots landed inside Obi-Wan’s bedroom window.

The flare of the lightsaber slicing towards her would surely have cut her in half had her reflexes been mere milliseconds slower. She blocked the strike with a flash of emerald green, but that only held off her attacker for a moment. When her eyes had adjusted to the sudden brightness, a shiver of genuine fear crept up her spine. The look in Skywalker’s eyes was akin only to that which she had seen in other Dark Acolytes; not even Dooku had ever looked so blatantly dangerous. He meant to kill her.

_No._

_NO!_

Asajj tried to leap back through the window but found herself caught in a Force-hold that threatened to squeeze the life from her. She refused to die like this, at _his_ hands, no less! She gathered the Force around her and sent it exploding outward. The tactic worked, sending both of them to the floor. Skywalker, taken by surprise, was one second slower in getting to his feet than her. She struck again and again, but not in an attempt to kill him. If she could have spared the thought she would have found that odd, but as it was she was too preoccupied with just trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

The battle spilled out into the main room of Obi-Wan’s quarters in a flurry of blue and green plasma. The open space gave an advantage to both combatants, but Skywalker was more skilled with the Force. He had her pinned to a wall, his lightsaber to her throat, but he stopped short of actually beheading her. “The _only_ reason you’re not dead right now,” he snarled with unexpected venom, “is because I have other plans for you.”

Asajj gave herself only a moment to be confused by the statement, enough time for him to call for backup on his comlink, before batting his lightsaber away with hers and launching them both into the center of the room. The space was still too enclosed to employ any acrobatics or fancy footwork and she was still unused to fighting with only one lightsaber. She felt herself tiring quickly, her arms screaming in protest as she blocked a particularly vicious strike. There were only three ways out of this fight for her: death, a lucky hit that would buy her enough time to run, or an outright miracle.

So it was when she felt her lightsaber flying from her hand into that of another Jedi and three more blades aimed at her vulnerable points that her mind went blank. “She broke into Master Kenobi’s room, Masters,” Skywalker was saying. He sounded as if he were speaking from a deep well or an underwater cave. She tried to think of a way to escape, but with four Jedi blocking her every path and one with her only weapon the odds were very slim indeed that any hastily-concocted plan would end well. “Probably hoping to kill him in his sleep.”

“These are strange times indeed,” the female, Master Unduli if Asajj remembered correctly, said with a serenity the cornered bounty hunter wished she felt. “For a Sith assassin to rise from the dead and attack the Temple so brazenly-“

“Not the Temple,” Skywalker corrected hotly. “Obi-Wan. She was after him specifically, always has been. Weren’t you?”

Asajj almost shuddered at the hate in his eyes as he looked at her. How could the others not feel the Dark Side so strongly in him even in the same room? She had no other option. As slowly as she could manage, she sank to her knees and raised her hands in surrender. _Obi-Wan_ , she thought as the two other males, a Gran and a Zabrak she did not recognize, pulled her to her feet and bound her wrists behind her back. _Please tell me you had nothing to do with this._

_With what, my darling?_ Of course NOW he chose to open his side of their bond.

_I got your message yesterday and now I’m being led to stars-know-where by Skywalker and your Jedi friends._

There was a very definite pause before he replied, his “voice” colored with worry and concern. _Asajj, what’s going on? What message?_

_You didn’t send me a text last night asking me to meet you in the Temple?_

_Darling, I’m still in the Outer Rim. Why would-_

His abrupt silence worried her more than the feel of Skywalker at her back as she was led deeper into the Temple. _Obi-Wan, what is going on?_

_I think I know what happened, but I hope I’m wrong. Just hold on until I can ge-_

She yelped as his presence was wrenched away from her mind like a drunken dentist removing the wrong tooth without anesthesia. A Force-suppressing collar had been fastened roughly around her neck. “Just in case you get any ideas, witch,” Skywalker growled in her ear. The only relief she had from the sudden weakness that flooded her limbs was that the room that was to be her cell was only a few steps away.

The Jedi holding her upright tossed her into the small room, which was more of an empty storage closet than anything else, without pity or mercy. She stayed where she landed, trying uselessly to reconnect to the Force and gather her wits. “Assemble the Council,” she heard one of them say before closing and locking the door.

_My love_ , she thought wearily, feeling as if she’d been awake for weeks on end without the briefest respite, _how did it come to this?_


	16. Chapter 16

Three days and she hadn't said a word. She'd been brought before the Jedi High Council each day and questioned without seeming end. She never once opened her mouth, never gave them any reason to use what she would say against her...or Obi-Wan. She knew that he would come up in the interrogation. She would sooner be put to death than betray the trust that had been so carefully rebuilt between them; it had happened once before, although inadvertently, and she wouldn't be the cause of it a second time.

So she took all of their questions in stride. The Jedi wouldn't use torture or other means of physical coercion to get the answers they wanted, but Skywalker's presence at each session was what unnerved her the most. She could feel his hate and loathing like a cloud of thick smoke that threatened to choke her. It amazed her how incredibly blind the Jedi had become if even they couldn't sense the Darkness in their prized Chosen One.

After the third day, when she had been forced to stand in the center of the ring of Jedi Masters for well over fourteen hours (she refused to kneel before them or show any sign of weakening despite the exhaustion that grew stronger with each passing moment), she had been thrown back into her cell by a clearly frustrated Master.

She'd had enough.

As soon as the door was sealed behind her, she forced the thumb of her right hand into an unnatural position, then gave it a sharp pull with her other hand. She bit back the yelp of pain as the joint dislocated; she'd been through worse than that. Once the digit was sufficiently malleable, she was able to slip the stun cuff from her wrist. She hurriedly popped her thumb back into place with a grunt and let out a deep sigh when the pain dulled to a throbbing ache.

_Now for this abomination._ She grasped the collar around her neck and pulled. Her desperation to be rid of it gave her arms more strength than she'd thought possible, but the metal and wires refused to give. A frustrated growl echoed in the small room. The Jedi weren't going to make this easy for her, were they. Thankfully, they hadn't bothered to check the soles of her boots for additional weapons when they'd taken everything that could be construed as such before her first interrogation. She tore off the shoe and pried the rubber away from the tough leather. A thin piece of metal was lodged inside the thick sole, a handy tool she was grateful she'd had the foresight to start carrying months ago. Although the Jedi could be smart (she had to give them that on occasion), they never did see a need to upgrade their Force-suppressing gear.

Asajj removed the small door of the collar's control panel, and with some minor rewiring the band gave a slight _click_ before falling from her neck. She breathed deeply when the Force flooded back into her limbs and the haze on her mind lifted. The blue and violet lines of the Force bond between her and Obi-Wan flared back to life; that sight and sensation alone was almost enough to ease her worry. She felt as if she'd just inhaled pure oxygen: lightheaded and very near a high like a spice addict.

It took her a few moments to calm her heartbeat and breathing, feeling more like her old self for the first time in days. If not for her current predicament of imprisonment by the people who had more of a reason than anyone to hold a grudge against her, she would have smiled.

_Obi-Wan,_ she sent along the pulsing waves of their Force bond, happiness at just being able to feel him again coloring her tone. _Where are you, darling?_

_Asajj!_ He actually sounded worried. She almost grinned at that. _What's happened? Are you alright? I couldn't sense you for days. I'd started to think-_

She didn't let him finish that thought. _I'm fine...relatively speaking. Just been enjoying Jedi hospitality. Where are you?_

_About to land at the Temple. Asajj, I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to get here. We were ambushed in the Outer Rim and couldn't leave. I tried to end it quickly, but-_

Asajj never thought she would have to be the one doing the comforting in their relationship. First time for everything. _Obi-Wan, calm down. It's okay. You seem to forget I know all about unexpected delays in a warzone. I'm just glad you haven't forgotten me._

A wave of love enveloped her as his bright blue aura wrapped around hers. _Never, my love._ She couldn't help but smile. _I'll be there shortly, Asajj. We'll fix this. I promise._

* * *

"Master Kenobi," a voice called out as soon as Obi-Wan set foot in the Temple. Without slowing or changing his course, he saw Kit Fisto approaching from his left. "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

The Nautolan fell into step beside him. "It's all over the Temple. I'm surprised Skywalker hasn't already contacted you about it." Kit managed to sound both shocked and fascinated at the same time. "Not only is the Sith assassin Asajj Ventress still alive, she was captured in the Temple. In your chambers!" He didn't see Obi-Wan's back stiffen. "Everything grows more strange by the day, my friend."

"What's being done about her?" He made sure to keep his voice neutral lest the worry that ate at him show through.

"She's being held and questioned every day. As far as I know, she hasn't spoken a word since her capture. Nothing is making sense anymore. First our home is bombed by one of our own, now it's been breached by an assassin. I fear to think what may be next."

Obi-Wan looked at his comrade. Kit's lidless eyes swam with emotion as he continued to ponder the recent developments. He was right: nothing was making sense. A few short months earlier everything had at least had some kind of logic. Now, a Jedi had fallen to the Dark Side, a Dark Acolyte had returned to the Light, and Obi-Wan's closest friend had possibly had something to do with Asajj's imprisonment. The latter troubled him the most. That incident on the battleship in the Outer Rim regarding his misplaced comlink still lingered in his mind. He didn't want to believe what it most probably meant...

"These are strange times, Master Fisto," he offered placidly.

"That's what Master Unduli said. I'm inclined to agree."

"Where is she being held now?"

Kit raised his hands in a subtle shrug. "No one knows except the High Council, and possibly Skywalker." He paused. "When we fought her on Ord Cestus, she seemed to take a special interest in killing you."

"She didn't leave you out, my friend," Obi-Wan quipped.

Kit smiled. "True enough, but I was not the center of her focus. The general consensus is that she came to finish her work. Why do you think she hasn't spoken to defend herself, or even to denounce you? She seemed most vehement about that when I last encountered her."

Obi-Wan returned the shrug. "I couldn't say."

A sudden idea seemed to come to Kit. He turned his bottomless eyes to Obi-Wan. "Perhaps if you were to lead the interrogation she would be more willing to explain herself."

He'd opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped by the approach of Ki-Adi-Mundi. "Master Kenobi. I'm very glad to see you've returned. There has been a disturbing development, one that involves you, I'm afraid."

"Yes, Master Fisto was just telling me."

"I suggested that Obi-Wan try to get answers from the assassin himself. He has a history with her that may prove useful in interrogation."

Obi-Wan tried not to wince.

The Cerean looked at him with hopeful eyes. "That may work. She has refused to speak, and we are running out of options."

"I will try my best, Master. I will question her alone-"

"I think, in light of what information she may possess and the threat she poses, the Council should be present."

Obi-Wan wanted to argue, wanted to spare her further incrimination from people who did not understand her like he did. But that would only arouse suspicion, something neither he nor Asajj could afford right now. He had no choice but to comply with Ki-Adi's veiled command. He inclined his head. "As you wish, Master."

"I will have her brought before the Council presently."

Obi-Wan watched his fellow Councilman walk away with a sinking feeling in his gut.

* * *

Asajj groaned in irritation when her cell door opened. They couldn't leave her alone after a fourteen-hour stint of questioning, could they? At least she was able to stand on her own now. The Cerean that had unlocked the door wore an expression of shock at finding her unrestrained and without the Force-suppressing collar. His hand went to his lightsaber, but she merely raised hers. She would give him no reason to draw the weapon if he gave her no reason to lash out. "Back for more, Master Jedi?" Her throat felt thick and tight after days of not using her voice, but she hid her discomfort.

The Jedi looked her over with clear distrust. "We're not done with you, assassin."

She sighed dramatically. "If I must." Seeing that he wasn't going to relax in the slightest until he was sure she couldn't attack, she replaced the open cuff on her wrist. She left the collar where it lay in the corner. When her arms were made properly useless, she gestured sarcastically to say, _Better?_

The Jedi still looked dubious, but he took her arm none too gently and pulled her into the hall. Asajj noted how he kept his lightsaber in his free hand as extra insurance. _Always so suspicious._ At least her sense of humor was coming back.

_Asajj, they're bringing you back to the Council Chamber._

She smirked. _You don't say, darling._

_They want me to lead this interrogation. Before you're questioned again, I have to know: what happened?_

_I was set up. Skywalker knew I was coming and caught me in your room. I have a feeling he was the one who sent that message the other day._

She felt him sigh. _I'm afraid you may be right._

_How did he get my frequency in the first place?_ A more traitorous part of her thought that Obi-Wan had let it slip to his former Padawan that he was in contact with her, but she forcefully stomped that notion down.

_I believe he took my comlink and figured out which one was yours. We both communicate with the same people, so to see an unfamiliar line must have tipped him off._

_But how did he know it was_ me _?_

_I don't know, darling. I never mentioned you. I never gave anyone reason to believe you were even alive._

She couldn't resist teasing him. _Except for Yoda, you mean._ She immediately regretted the snarky comment when she felt a pang of hurt. _I'm sorry, Obi-Wan. I was joking._

_Good to know you haven't lost your sense of humor._

"If you want this over quickly," the Cerean interrupted while they rode the turbolift that would take them into the Council Chamber, "you'll start talking, assassin. We've given you plenty of opportunities. If you squander this one, that cell will remain your home for the rest of your life...short as it might be."

"Such a sweet-talker," she purred, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm sure you've charmed dozens of ladies with words like that." He didn't take her bait, didn't even glance in her direction. _Well, you're no fun._ Perhaps it was the knowledge that her bondmate was within reach that restored her flippancy and demeanor. It would probably get her in trouble if she tried to toy with the Jedi Council like that, but it felt good to feel like her old self again.

Her elevated mood quickly crashed when she saw Skywalker standing with his arms crossed over his chest near a far wall. He wasn't a Councilmember; why was he here? The Cerean left her in the center of the arc of chairs, some occupied by holoimages of Masters who were off-planet. She glanced briefly at Obi-Wan, who hid his true emotions behind a mask of mild interest. His Force signature told a very different story as he embraced her through their bond.

"She was found in your quarters, Master Kenobi," Mace Windu said, his words directed at the Jedi to his left but his hard gaze fixed on Asajj.

"Yeah, weird," Anakin offered with a lightness uncharacteristic to his intense dislike of her. "Any ideas on why she would be in there?"

"I'm more interested in how she got into the Temple in the first place," Windu countered. "And how she's even alive."

_Talking about me like I'm not even here,_ she thought bitterly. _I thought you were going to be doing the questioning, Kenobi._

_So did I..._

"Didn't you report that she had been killed on Boz Pity, Master Kenobi?"

"I did. To my knowledge, she was indeed dead...or as close to it as possible." He turned to her then, half out of respect to not treat her like she was invisible. "How did you survive, Ventress?" He had to remind himself to not address her with the familiarity that had become second nature over the months.

"Luck." The longer she spent surrounded by Jedi the more uncomfortable she got. Not even her lover's presence could completely cure her of that.

"There has always been an animosity from Ventress towards Obi-Wan," said the flickering image of Plo Koon. "Darth Maul survived bisection by the power of his rage towards you. Is it possible she utilized the same tactic?"

Asajj resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I don't believe so, Masters," Obi-Wan answered. "Maul was nothing but rage and hatred given physical form. Ventress had renounced her allegiance to the Dark Side just before her apparent death."

Anakin spoke up again, obviously rankled by his Master's defense of her. "She faked her death, why not that as well, Master?" His eyes burned into hers with a heat that nearly made her shiver. "How do we know that wasn't all a trick, or even a plan cooked up by her and Dooku to throw us off? She could still be one of his pets for all we know."

"Enough, Skywalker." Windu glared at the younger man. Asajj wondered if, if things didn't go as badly as she thought, she might end up liking the Korun.

Obi-Wan almost sighed at his former student's outburst. "I sensed no deception in her on Boz Pity. No Darksider could fake a return to the Light."

"I have to disagree, Master," Anakin spat.

Windu had started to say something, but Obi-Wan beat him to it. "That's enough, Anakin. You didn't see or feel what I did on Boz Pity."

"I remember seeing her trying to kill you. Or have you forgotten that, too?"

"Because that was all she'd ever known!" Everyone, Asajj included, was startled by the vehemence in Obi-Wan's voice. "I forgave her for all her transgressions against me long ago. I didn't agree with what she'd done while in Dooku's service, but I understood why she did the things she did. As much as I abhor them, I understand the motivations behind them. I understand _her_."

Asajj almost slipped up and smiled at him. No one had ever defended her like that before. Only Ky had ever truly attempted to understand her as a person.

In the ensuing silence, Yoda hmm'd and leaned forward on his gimer stick. The diminutive Master had remained quiet during the arguments, but now seemed to have something to say. "Found, you were, with a lightsaber not your own, young one." Asajj nearly flinched; only Ky had ever called her that. He lifted the aforementioned saber hilt from the cushion beside him. He examined it as he spoke. "In the Temple vaults, this was kept. A Jedi's, it was. Found its way home, it did." He fixed her with a bottomless stare, neither gentle nor hard. "How did it come to you?"

She didn't dare look away. If she so much as flicked her eyes at Obi-Wan, Yoda would know the truth. Force, he probably already did. But she would sooner be thrown down a sarlaac pit than betray her bondmate. "As you say, Master," she finally said with as much sincerity as she could manage. "It simply found its way home."

Skywalker made a noise but didn't speak. She felt Obi-Wan reach out to her through the Force, a most welcome sensation amidst the disbelief and latent anger that went around the room. She knew what they were all thinking: how dare she presume such blasphemy. How dare she make light of such a serious offense. She shut them all out and focused on Obi-Wan's presence in her mind and soul.

"It belonged to Ky Narec, my first Master," she explained. They didn't deserve to hear this story, but if it would help get this circus over faster... "He took me in when I lost everything and trained me to control and use my abilities that I didn't understand at the time. He was a close to a father as I could remember. When he was killed, his lightsaber was all I had left of him. I kept it safe to honor his memory. Then it was taken from me." She saw Obi-Wan lower his gaze at that. "But now, it found its way back. It belongs in the hands of one who would use it to honor its fallen master rather than gathering dust in some forgotten corner of a vault to be lost to time and history."

"A compelling story, to be sure," Ki-Adi said when she was finished, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "But that still doesn't answer the question: how did _you_ get it from the vault?"

She fixed him with a cold glare. She really didn't like this one. "Perhaps it was the will of the Force. Don't the Jedi always say that when they can't explain something, or when they wouldn't accept the truth of things anyway?"

_Darling, please._

_I won't tell them anything more they don't deserve to know. I'll not throw you to the wolves, Obi-Wan. If that means the distrust of your friends and my possible execution, then fine._

_Asajj-_

_Kenobi, shut up._ She wrapped his signature with hers, the gesture as loving and telling as if she'd embraced him physically while putting her hand over his mouth.

"This is going nowhere, Masters," a female Togruta interjected before anyone could start another argument. "Ventress has been questioned for a very long time, twice now today."

"Agreed," Yoda said. High tensions are, and no deceit or Darkness do I sense in her. Discuss this further we will, but not today."

Skywalker launched himself from the wall at that. "Master, how can you say that?" He jabbed a finger at Asajj, who flinched at the suddenness of it. She didn't like being so close to the boy; his Darkness was almost a palpable thing to her. She debated whether or not to say as much while she had the attention of the whole Council. She could tell Windu didn't think as highly of the Chosen One as others. "This _creature_ has tortured and murdered countless beings throughout the galaxy. Once the Dark Side takes hold of someone, it _never_ lets them go. She will always be a threat so long as she's alive, always a slave to the Dark Side."

"Calm down, Skywalker," Windu said firmly. "You are allowed to observe this interrogation by the grace of the Council. One more outburst and you will be escorted out. Do I make myself clear?"

Skywalker shut up, but clearly wasn't happy about being told off. He confirmed that thought when he gave a stiff bow and stormed out of the room, fixing Asajj with a pointed look on his way out.

_I think I like Master Windu,_ Asajj thought, attempting to lighten the knot that had formed in her chest.

"I agree with Master Yoda," Unduli said as if nothing was amiss. Like Yoda, she addressed Asajj directly. "When we fought many months ago, you were shrouded in Darkness. But now...something's changed." Asajj could have sworn she was smiling. "Your anger and fear are gone, though distrust is still present, of course."

"Do forgive me for that, Master Jedi," Asajj said dramatically. "Unlike the esteemed Jedi, I'm not so quick as to forget who still sees me as an enemy."

_Asajj..._

_What?_

Obi-Wan didn't answer; he just rubbed his forehead with his fingertips.

Windu let out a sound that on a lesser man would have been an irritated grunt, but on him was merely a sigh of frustration, like a father having to deal with unruly children. "I think we're done here. Obi-Wan and Shaak Ti, escort Ventress back to her cell. We'll continue this tomorrow when everyone's had a chance to calm down." He looked right at Asajj. "And just so my meaning is not misconstrued, that means you, too."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am truly, very sorry for how long this update took. I kinda got sidetracked by all those one-shots (and more ideas keep coming), and I got stuck on this part for the longest time. I couldn't figure out how to transition relatively smoothly from romance to political thriller (if I can even call this that). I got a comment earlier this morning from someone who said they weren't going to bother looking for an update because I took so long with this chapter. I assure you all, this story will be finished. It's all planned out through ANH and beyond, and this is pretty much my baby. I'm just painfully slow at updating sometimes for various reasons.
> 
> Again, I apologize for those of you waiting for so long. I hope this one tides you over until the next, which hopefully won't take two more months to write now that I've gotten past this block.
> 
> Onward!

_Obi-Wan, I found something in the Works while you were out saving the galaxy,_ Asajj thought quickly. _Dooku has been meeting Sidious right under your noses._

He tried to conceal his shock at the news. _How did you discover this?_

_I don't lounge around my apartment all day waiting for you to call, darling. People have been seeing things down in the slums. They led me to a warehouse in the Works, and Dooku and Sidious were both there._ A firm tug on her arm pulled her away from Obi-Wan; she had been unconsciously moving closer to him as she relayed the information and Shaak Ti had to pull her back between them. She sent a brief glare to the Togruta before continuing. _I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I got a recording of the meeting. Maybe your fellow Jedi have something that can clean it up._

_Where is it?_

_A chip in my helmet. Unduli took it when I was caught._ Obi-Wan kept his eyes forward, but she could see the shock in his face.

_You have to reveal this to the Council, Asajj. They'll go easier on you if what you found can be used in ending this war._

_Absolutely not._ He started to turn his head but quickly corrected himself. _I'm not going to reveal anything to them without something more substantial than my word and a grainy night vision recording. You're the only one who would believe me, and then only because you're in my head._

_I don't think some of the Masters are as against you as you may think._

_Right. And the Sith Lord orchestrating this entire farce is really a sandcrab that got bored with beach life._

“You are unusually quiet, Master Kenobi,” Shaak Ti said suddenly.

_I have an idea, if you'll go along with me._ He didn't wait for her to reply. “I was just processing the interrogation, Master. I have a couple more questions for our guest that I think she might find easier to answer if not surrounded by so many Jedi.”

Asajj snorted. “Depends on the questions, Kenobi.” _What are you up to?_

_Trust me._ “It would have been more beneficial,” he said aloud when they entered her cell; Shaak Ti hung back in the corner to let Obi-Wan talk, “for you to speak up instead of staying quiet, Ventress.”

She shrugged as she lowered herself to the floor, her hands still bound in front of her. “If I had I would have only dug myself into a deeper hole, Jedi.”

He chuckled. “Well, you have me there.”

_I'd like to have you here. Without the audience, of course._

If Shaak Ti noticed his hesitation and the forced blankness of his expression she didn't mention it. _Asajj..._

_You walked right into that one, darling._

Obi-Wan cleared his mind of the inappropriate thoughts her teasing provoked. “You told me on Boz Pity to keep watch on Coruscant. Why?”

A tilt of her head to the right and a lowering of her voice made sure that the Togruta was keenly listening. “You haven't sensed it? You live here and even you don't feel the festering? You Jedi really are blind.”

Obi-Wan didn't rise to the bait. “What do you mean?”

“You Jedi are so focused on this meaningless war that you can't see what's right in front of you.” Now she didn't have to try so hard to pretend this interrogation was real; now she spoke what had been on her mind for years. “I may have lived in the Dark for most of my life, but even I know something's amiss on this gaudy planet. I've not been blinded by the Light like you to miss it.” She leaned forward, her neck craning to look up at him. “It's subtle but it's there. Maybe if you and your people stopped looking outward for the cause of this war you would be able to see where it truly lies.”

“And where would that be?”

Now came the moment of truth. This was the part that would seal her fate. She couldn't afford to misstep now. “There's a warehouse in the Works,” she started slowly. “It stinks of the Dark Side. Anyone with the least amount of Force sensitivity can find it. Head there and you'll see it for yourself.”

Obi-Wan crossed his arms so his hands disappeared into the sleeves of his robe. “And what guarantee do I have that this isn't a trap? You're not exactly known for your trustworthiness, my dear.”

“Unduli took my helmet when they arrested me. There's a recording in it that will explain everything.”

Obi-Wan paused for a moment as if contemplating the revelation. “And if the recording proves valuable to us in ending this conflict, what would you demand in return?”

A derisive snort was his first answer. “Keeping my life would be nice. And my freedom.”

He paused. If it were up to him, he would grant her amnesty without a moment's hesitation. But just because their personal relationship had evolved into what it was now didn't give him the power to make decisions that the Council was responsible for. “What assurance do we have that you wouldn't return to your old ways, or even try to work your way back into Dooku's good graces if we let you go?” He saw her flinch. _I'm sorry, dearest. I have to mention him to make this look more believable._

_How sweet of you to think of my feelings. But it's okay. I understand._ “After what Dooku did to me and the massacre he ordered on my Sisters? That's your assurance right there.” A heavy pause settled between them before another thought came to mind. “And the fact that your Masters still have my lightsaber. I'll be wanting that back, by the way.”

“I can't promise that, Asajj.” Neither was aware of how he addressed her despite Shaak Ti's presence. She was so quiet and calm they'd momentarily forgotten she was even there. “That lightsaber belonged to a Jedi Master. Not you.”

_You're going to make this easy, are you?_ “ _My_ Master,” she growled. Even though she knew this entire interrogation was just for show, a flash of pain still went through her at the mention of her first mentor. “As I said in front of the others: it belongs in the hands of someone who will use it to honor his memory, not be left in some vault to be forgotten.”

Obi-Wan let her see his sympathy and guilt through his gaze and their bond. He felt her tense reflexively, then allow him to fully embrace her in his comforting aura. “Even so,” he continued, “that's not for me to decide. However, I will speak with the Council and see what they can do. All of this is provided, of course, on how useful the recording is.” He turned then to Shaak Ti, who had been observing the entire exchange with calculating interest. “Master Ti, would you begin analyzing the recording and see if you can extract anything of value from it?”

The Togruta furrowed her brow for just an instant, but it was enough for Obi-Wan to know that he had just taken her by surprise. “Of course, Master Kenobi.” She bowed her head towards him, then left the room without a glance at Asajj.

But the ruse wasn't over. There was always a chance of someone watching or listening through hidden cams; Obi-Wan wasn't familiar enough with this section of the cell wing to know for sure if there were any cams in the room or not. “I hope for your sake you aren't lying, Ventress.”

“Still holding onto that fool's hope that I'll become a model citizen, my dear?” she smirked.

He offered a tiny smile in return. “Fool's hope is the only kind worth having, in my experience.”

Asajj debated with herself for a moment as he started for the door, then blurted out, “I know you all think I'm deceiving you, but I'm not. I've bent and distorted the truth, but I've never lied. I want this war to end as badly as you Jedi do, believe it or not. I don't want to leave a galaxy filled with violence and death for future generations. I didn't have that chance on Rattatak. All my life I've known war. And I'm tired of it.”

Obi-Wan stared at her, the wistfulness in her voice catching him by surprise. _Oh, beloved..._ “I know,” he replied in a low whisper. “We all want this conflict to be over. If you truly want to help us, convince the Council. You already know where I stand.”

_I'd rather you lay down, but I'm flexible._

_That I know all too well, darling._

They longed to smile at their silent banter, but the real world and the seriousness of the situation prevented them. Instead, they shared a brief, loving glance and a secret chuckle through the Force. Then he was gone, and Asajj found herself alone again.


	18. Chapter 18

Hours passed. If things weren't finally moving forward on the part of the Jedi, she'd surely have keeled over from boredom. As it was, her nerves were working on overdrive. Her anxiousness threatened to grow into irritation, then into anger the longer her isolation went on. She tried meditating, but that had proven useless when her thoughts began to intrude and stumble over themselves. 

Thankfully, Obi-Wan's presence in her mind kept her from doing anything rash (as did the stun cuffs still on her wrists, but they would have been no great hindrance if her anger had taken hold). He assured her that Shaak Ti was still analyzing the recording before presenting it to the Council, that they hadn't left her to rot in her cell as she'd initially feared. 

Not for the first time Asajj was thankful for the bond that she and Obi-Wan shared. The pulsing blue and violet lights behind her eyes were a comfort, just as his gentle voice in her head was her solace from the pressing loneliness. She allowed herself the tiniest smile as he went on. Usually she was ready to tell him to shut up by this point, but now his rambling only endeared him even more to her. He was trying so hard to keep her calm. It really was comforting to know that she didn't have to endure everything alone anymore. 

_Wait,_ she interrupted, Obi-Wan in mid-thought. The Force was no longer calmly flowing as it had been. A wave was coming towards her, like ones in an ocean that threatened to capsize unsuspecting ships. It made her flinch. There was no mistaking that presence on the other side of the door, the intensity of the emotions that were only barely kept restrained by sheer force of will. The dark silouhette that loomed in the doorway as it slid back into the wall confirmed her theory. _Ah, your Chosen One is here._

Obi-Wan's bright tether shivered for an instant before steadying again. _What? Why is Anakin there?_

_Be quiet a moment and I'll find out, darling.  
_

Anakin didn't look at her as he closed the door behind him. He didn't have his cloak on, but the single light over his head cast him in a shadow that mimicked the appearance of being hooded. The picture it presented was eerie. She watched him pace in front of her, her back firmly pressed against the wall. “You think you've got everyone fooled, Ventress,” he said at last. “But I see right through your act.” 

Asajj resisted the urge to tilt her head innocently at him. “Do you now,” she replied simply. 

“The Council is so blind. To think that you even deserve a trial after everything you've done. Or that you deserve another second of life.” 

Asajj felt her insides go cold. _Obi-Wan. His voice._

_Asajj, what's wrong?  
_

_I've only heard one other's voice sound like this, so full of Darkness: Dooku's Master.  
_

“I know better than them,” Anakin continued, still pacing. “I've always known better than them when it comes to people like you.” 

“Of course you do.” 

His eyes snapped up to hers...and she flinched again. “Don't patronize me, witch.” 

_Asajj, what's happening?  
_

Anakin crouched in front of her and leaned in close, his burning eyes only inches from hers. It took every ounce of discipline in her being to not lean back. “I know what you've done to Obi-Wan,” he hissed. Asajj kept her face impassive, but she couldn't stop the icy weight that dropped into her stomach. “I _saw_ you in his bed. You've cast some spell on him or poisoned him to let him allow you to do... _that_.” 

_Asajj?  
_

She didn't respond to either of them, mostly out of shock, but also to not give Anakin a reason to lash out. Let him get it all out verbally and maybe he'd feel a little better...or at least enough to not add to her collection of scars and bruises. 

“He's still not in his right mind, otherwise he wouldn't be defending you. But your black magic will wear off eventually...especially when your head is rolling across the floor.” His lips pulled back into a grim mockery of a smile. She knew that look well. “Kind of impossible to control someone when you're dead.” 

_Asajj!  
_

“Even if the Masters show you mercy, the Senate certainly won't. I have some pretty powerful friends there, and one word from me will see justice served.” 

_That's it. I'm on my way.  
_

_No, don't. I'm alright. He won't hurt me, Obi-Wan. He's just trying to scare me._ Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure if she said that to convince Obi-Wan or herself. 

_Don't be afraid, beloved.  
_

_I said he_ 's trying _to scare me. I never said he was succeeding._ “I think I finally understand you, Skywalker.” 

Anakin leaned back slightly, surprise plain in his face. “You don't know a thing about me, witch.” 

She knew she was taking a big risk by antagonizing him, but if she could get him off-balance she had a chance to end this meeting without either of them leaving in a body bag. Maybe. Plus, she was tired of his attitude. “I know you're a hot-headed boy making pretend he's a man. You think a lightsaber and being called 'the Chosen One' make you something more than you are.” 

Anakin stood but didn't step back. He glowered down at her. “Shut up.” 

Those two words let her know that she'd struck a nerve. “You've let that go to your head, Skywalker. But being the Chosen One isn't all you thought it was, is it? The Council still treats you like a Padawan, don't they? For all your gifts and talents and achievements, they refuse to see you as an equal. And that pisses you off.” His silence was her proof that he'd been thinking those exact same thoughts for quite some time now, possibly even before the war. She knew that feeling all too well. “That's why we've always hated each other: we're exactly the same.” 

Being the disciple of someone like Dooku had long inured her to all sorts of torture and corporeal punishment. Force chokes weren't used with any great frequency while in his service, but she'd been at their mercy more than she cared to remember. This one, however, was different. This hold was both crushing her throat and making it seem to explode from the inside out. She gasped for air and clutched at her neck, but there were no fingers to pry off. 

_Now_ she was afraid. She had pushed him too far and now his impulsive need for vengeance, which he disguised as justice, had taken over his Jedi training. He would kill her now without a second thought. She'd known how little he cared about consequences if his track record during the war was anything to go by, and yet she had pushed him until his already fragile hold on his emotions had snapped. He would play the repentant victim in front of the Council, but she would still be dead. 

Shadows appeared at the edges of her vision. The only thing she could now see was Anakin's furious face...and the way his eyes _shifted_. 

“Release her, Anakin!” Asajj wanted to cry out in relief at a third, most welcome voice, but struggling to remain conscious took up all of her energy and attention. 

“No, Master. She deserves to die for what she's done!” 

Obi-Wan's voice became as hard as durasteel and more cutting than a razor. “That is not for you to decide. Release her NOW.” 

Indecision flared on his face, then the invisible grip around her neck loosened. Asajj fell to her hands and knees as she greedily sucked in air, an occasional cough racking her chest and scratching at her raw throat. A hand on her back offered comfort, but there was none to be found. _He knows,_ she thought frantically. _Obi-Wan, he_ knows. 

She felt him freeze beside her, then sigh through their bond. _I should have known._ “Anakin, what were you thin-” He stopped when he saw that only he and Asajj were in the room. Anakin had disappeared. “Anakin!” 

Asajj had managed to stifle her coughs, though her throat still burned. Not even Dooku had ever gone so far. Skywalker was more dangerous than she'd suspected. He was losing his hold not only on himself but on his teachings. Calling him a Jedi now after that, not to mention how close he had come to killing her in the Coruscant underworld so long ago, couldn't even be classified as a joke. 

_Obi-Wan_ , she reached out cautiously. _He saw us together. He thinks I've bewitched you._ He didn't look at her; he just stared at the floor. She touched his arm, no longer caring if they were being watched. This was a bigger problem. _What if he goes to the Council? You'll be ruined._

Now he looked at her. Confusion, sadness, guilt, and shame danced through his eyes in those few seconds. They hardened just as quickly as he came to a decision. _He won't. And if he does, I don't care what they say. Master Yoda carries the most weight and..._ He stopped when he remembered what Yoda had told him months earlier: if they were discovered, he couldn't protect them both. He may have allowed their clandestine relationship to go on as some sort of experiment, but once it was out in the open all bets would be off. Obi-Wan was more concerned about what would happen to Asajj than anything the Council could do to him. _I'll take care of it, my dear._

He stood and hurried to the door after Anakin. Asajj's voice followed him out: “Keep your Chosen One on his leash, Kenobi!”

* * *

 

Obi-Wan found Anakin leaning against a window seconds later. He was about to make a very vocal and un-Jedi-like demand for an explanation when he saw the expression on his face. “I’m sorry, Master,” his friend whispered. He saw Anakin’s hands clenched on the sill, the stiffness of his shoulders. “I shouldn’t have done that.” 

Obi-Wan approached to stand beside him. It hadn’t escaped his notice how much more volatile Anakin had become after Ahsoka left the Order. He had been struggling to rein in his emotions, as he always had trouble doing, but it only seemed to be getting worse lately. And Obi-Wan knew that he and Asajj had never been on remotely pleasant terms, so he couldn’t say that that encounter was entirely unexpected. But it certainly wasn’t excusable. 

And there was one other thing that needed addressing. 

“Anakin,” he started softly, “during the fight to take back Adriana, did you take my comlink and send a message to Asajj?” There was no point in trying to hide his connection to her anymore. Anakin’s silence was his answer. “You lured her to the Temple and lied to me to catch her in my room, didn’t you.” Dark blonde hair lowered between hunched shoulders. Obi-Wan closed his eyes. “Anakin, I understand how this must look-“ 

“Really? Do you _really_?” Now Anakin lifted his head to stare distractedly out the window at the Coruscant cityscape. “Because to me it looks like you’re still under that witch’s spell. She’s corrupted you, Master. I know you’ve always been too lenient on her, but now she’s used it her advantage.” 

Obi-Wan was aghast. Was that what he really thought this was? “Anakin…” 

“Everyone I’ve ever gotten close to has been ripped away from me one way or another. My mother, Ahsoka, even Qui-Gon and other Jedi.” Obi-Wan refrained from correcting him on Ahsoka’s departure; it wouldn’t do any good to point out semantic errors, not with Anakin in his present state of mind. “And now that Sith witch is trying to take you from me, too.” He turned to his mentor with eyes that shone with unshed tears. Fear, grief, and near-obsessive determination all flooded over Obi-Wan through the Force in that instant. “I won’t let that happen, Master. I can accept the possibility that we all might die in this war, but what I can’t accept is that harpy getting her revenge on you.” 

Once again Obi-Wan found himself speechless. Anakin had so much wrong he didn’t know where to begin. But could he really divulge the entire truth of how he and Asajj had grown to be so much more than just former enemies? He let out a long breath and placed a hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “Anakin, there is so much to explain. I’ve pondered over this for so long and I still don’t fully understand it. But I will say this: Asajj is not the person you knew before Boz Pity. She’s changed.”

“Are you sure she didn’t just make you believe that so she could get her claws in you?” Anakin was very near sobbing at this point.

Obi-Wan wanted nothing more right then than to prevent that, to spare his best friend such misplaced and mistaken sorrow and helplessness. “Absolutely not. Asajj and I…we share a Force bond, Anakin. A very strong one. It happened so suddenly…” He sighed again, this time in frustration at not being able to make everything so simple to explain. “I owe you a full explanation, I know. But it’s going to take some time-“ 

“I have time now, Master.” Anakin’s gaze hardened with forceful resolve. “Convince me that you’re in your right mind or I’ll go back right now and kill her myself.” 

Another sigh. Obi-Wan had no choice. He had to reveal everything. Anakin wouldn’t like it, but it was crucial that he understand his friend hadn’t fallen under some Sith spell and that Asajj was no longer that rage-filled monster that Dooku had molded her into. 

_Darling_ , he thought. _I’m sorry, but I have to tell Anakin the truth.  
_

He felt Asajj bristle at the other end of their bond. _Fine. If it will get him back on his leash, then do it. I already told you I don’t care what he thinks.  
_

 _Things will work out, Asajj. Anakin may come around…eventually._ Obi-Wan and Anakin stepped into the latter’s quarters, the door sliding shut behind them with a very real sense of finality. There was a highly probable chance that their friendship may not survive the truth; Obi-Wan had to beat that thought back. _But I have a feeling this is going to be a very long night.  
_

 _Like I’m going anywhere, Kenobi._ He could almost see the smirk on her face at those words. _Just do me a favor and leave out the more explicit details._

_Trust me, those are things that will remain between us for all eternity._ He took a seat across from Anakin and braced himself for the worst.


	19. Chapter 19

When Obi-Wan entered the Council chamber the next morning, he was exhausted, relieved, and anxious all at once.

Anakin had listened to every word the previous night without interrupting once. Obi-Wan had told him everything from the beginning; from the first night he woke to find Asajj in his room, to how she had finally opened up and talked about what had shaped her into the woman she was and the one she had become, to her painful recount of the death of her Master (that had gotten a reaction out of Anakin in the form of lowered eyes and a set jaw), all the way through the unexpected creation of their Force bond and the way that bond had grown into genuine, fierce love.

"If you want to tell me I'm a hypocrite," he'd said after all of that, "let me tell you you're not the first to say it. I've agonized over that ever since that first night. After all the lectures I gave you about attachment and what commitment to the Order means, I understand if you're angry with me. You'd be right to be so. But you must understand that a bond had existed between Asajj and I even when she was in Dooku's service." He'd run a hand through his hair in frustration then. It was so difficult to put into words what felt so simple to him now. "I can't explain it, can't begin to contemplate what the Force was thinking, but it was there. When I learned of her past, I thought I could save her. You know how much I love playing savior." His slight grin had dropped when he saw that Anakin hadn't found anything about this funny. "In the end, she came to me and saved herself. And as much as I know very few others will understand, I do hope that you can at least try to see things from our point of view. Whether against the Code or not, this bond...this love we have was somehow meant to be. I have a feeling it will become even more important not just to me and Asajj, but to everything in the coming days." He'd looked up and tried to meet Anakin's eyes. "Do you understand, Anakin?"

The younger man hadn't said anything for a long time. Obi-Wan knew it was a lot to process, possibly too much at once. But now it was out in the open and there was no taking it back. When he did finally speak, Anakin had just said, "It's late, Master. We should both get some sleep."

Obi-Wan hadn't argued. He'd simply nodded and left for his own quarters.

Walking into the Council chamber now he still felt the strain of that lengthy revelation. He'd wanted to go to Asajj both after leaving Anakin and as soon as the sun had risen. But he'd realized that not only would he have had nothing new to say, but if he were seen even more suspicion would be in the eyes of the Jedi who already suspected something was amiss between him and her, and she would be the one to bear it. He wouldn't add to her burden if he could help it.

Obi-Wan took his seat and nodded a greeting at an already-seated Yoda (no other Masters had yet arrived). "Complex, things are becoming," the tiny Jedi said softly. "Mmm, Master Obi-Wan?"

"They are indeed." He hated to think just how much more complicated things would get before the day was over. "I only hope we can straighten all of this out quickly."

"I believe I can help on that account, Master Kenobi." Shaak Ti entered, followed by Masters Mundi, Windu, Unduli, and Fisto. The Togruta remained standing while the others took their seats. Obi-Wan noticed how none of their eyes seemed any more accusatory or suspicious than normal and he let out a small breath. As disappointed and angry as Anakin may have been (and been right to be), he hadn't divulged anything to any of them. Obi-Wan knew he could trust him with anything, but it hadn't stopped that tiny twinge of doubt from trying to work its way into his brain.

"Masters," Shaak Ti began while pulling a holoprojector from her robes, "I have analyzed the footage retrieved from Ventress's helmet cam. It took some time to clean up, but I believe it may hold a new piece to this puzzle we find ourselves in with this war."

"Forgive me, Master Ti," Kit interrupted. "But shouldn't Ventress be present to explain what it is we will be looking at?" Obi-Wan had wondered the same thing.

"She will be. She is being escorted here as we speak."

Obi-Wan felt his anxiety spike when he looked around the chamber and saw that one face that had been there from the beginning was nowhere to be seen now.

* * *

Asajj was proud of herself for not letting her fear of Skywalker show on her face or in her voice. Oh, she still despised him, still feared what he was capable of as he skated the line of the Dark Side especially without Obi-Wan to hold him back. But when her cell door opened to reveal him on the other side, she noticed something different.

At first he seemed somewhat calm. He ordered her to stand and follow him, firmly but politely. That had made her look askance at him for a beat before rising to her feet. She had kept him in her peripheral while they walked, not trusting him in the slightest to not take advantage of an opportunity to strike her down if one arose. But he hadn't said a word or even acknowledged that she was even there.

If she hadn't know him better she would have sworn he was deep in thought; Obi-Wan had often worn the same expression when he was thinking too much. In light of that, silence seemed the better option than risking provoking him again. Skywalker was already dangerous enough with his rash nature; who knew how deadly he could be if he started thinking.

Every nerve in Asajj's body felt as if it had been set on fire. She knew he would try something, anything to prove that she had indeed bewitched Obi-Wan and was the same evil Sith aspirant she had always been. Not being able to tell when his attack would happen was agonizing. But she kept her face blank and her Force signature steady. As afraid of being left alone with him as she was she would sooner join a Hutt's harem than let her discomfort show.

"He told me everything," Skywalker said now, his voice quiet yet seeming to boom within the confines of the narrow hallway. "Obi-Wan vouched for you. Said that you two are...in love." He didn't look at her, but she saw the grimace that twisted his face at those two words. "I still think you've done something to him, but he was genuine last night when he said that. I believe him." He stopped just outside the lift to the Council chamber and turned to fix her with a hard stare. She stared back. "But I still don't trust you, Ventress. I don't know and I don't care how you feel about him. All I need to know is that he loves you for Force knows what reason."

A shadow crossed his face then, a flash of confusion and hurt sparking through his eyes. Asajj knew he was thinking about Senator Amidala. Skywalker had nearly killed her when she learned of his secret relationship with her, and if Obi-Wan had confessed to entering into an affair with a former enemy, then no doubt Skywalker was struggling to reconcile the hypocrisy. She stayed quiet and let him work through it on his own. Not out of concern for his pride (as if he would take advice on love from her anyway), but because she didn't owe him any kind of explanation or defense. The Force had bound her and Obi-Wan together, the love that had grown between them was natural and true, and they would continue to approach it like mature adults. Skywalker's opinion of it and them meant nothing to her.

"But just so we're clear," he continued, "the only reason I don't kill you now is for his sake. The second I even feel like you're going to hurt or betray him, I'll put my lightsaber through your heart. Am I understood?"

Asajj almost smirked. As much as she hated him, she respected that fierce loyalty. If their positions had been reversed, she would have said the same thing...only in less polite terms. "Perfectly. And just so _I'm_ clear, the same goes for you. Am _I_ understood?"

Icy blue eyes never swayed from cutting silver. The battle of wills that raged between them was just as intense as any duel they'd ever had with lightsabers. Even when the turbolift opened before them they didn't blink. "After you," Skywalker ground out.

Asajj simply raised an eyebrow. He knew her better than to think she would turn her back on him, especially in such an enclosed space. He took the hint and stepped in first.

She had to force herself to not look at Obi-Wan when they entered the Council chamber. The Jedi may have been blind to everything going on around them on Coruscant, but they could be irritatingly observant in other matters. She wouldn't give them any reason to suspect anything...provided Skywalker had extended the same courtesy and hadn't already blabbed just to spite her. Instead she risked a gentle caress through the Force and relaxed a fraction when his aura wrapped tightly around hers.

"Welcome back, Ventress," the Togruta said dispassionately. "I have reviewed the data you recorded in the Works, but we require more information about the footage." The holoprojector in her hand came to life and showed two figures, Dooku and a hooded and cloaked being. The image was grainy and fuzzy, the result of Asajj having kept herself as far as possible from the man who had ordered her execution. She hadn't dared get any closer. "The audio was nearly impossible to clean up. Can you tell us what Count Dooku and this man were saying?"

"No. I couldn't hear anything past whispers. But I can guess that whatever it was had something to do with a plot here on Coruscant."

A tremor went through the assembled Masters, even those who weren't physically there. "That is most improbable," the hologram of Plo Koon said. "What makes you think this?"

Asajj's calm vanished in that instant. Not even Obi-Wan's metaphysical presence could stop her hackles from rising. "Perhaps the fact that two Sith Lords have been meeting under your noses and none of you noticed. Or perhaps the fact that this war has been moving closer to the Core and taking Coruscant would bring about the end of it in favor of the CIS. Which would you prefer, Master Jedi?"

_Darling, please..._

_Hush, Obi-Wan. They want me to talk, I'll talk, but they're not going to insult my intelligence._

Shaak Ti diffused the tension before any more words could be exchanged. "How did you come across this meeting, Ventress?"

Asajj took a breath before answering. "Before my 'death' on Boz Pity, I had learned some of Dooku's plans for the future of the war. He and Sidious were planning something with Coruscant. I didn't know if that meant on-planet or not, but it didn't matter in the end. I wasn't privy to those conversations. I told Kenobi to keep an eye on this world, that it was the key to ending the war. I'm sure he mentioned it when he reported my death."

"Indeed he did," Windu said. "But that doesn't explain how you discovered these meetings between Dooku and Sidious here on Coruscant."

She shrugged. "I asked around. Amazing what a little footwork among the dregs of society will do." _As if you people would think to mingle with the lower class._

Obi-Wan leaned forward with a mental sigh in her direction. "How long have they been meeting like this?"

Now she turned to look at him. She kept her expression neutral, but she couldn't stop the spark that ignited in her chest. "I don't know, but the people in the lower levels have been seeing Dooku's ship for at least a few months. I followed their tips and my own instincts and came upon what you see now." The hooded figure of Sidious turned then, and something caught Asajj's eye. "Wait," she said hurriedly. "Pause it there." She stepped toward the frozen image. A shape lay half-hidden by the folds of Sidious's cloak at his neck.

"What is it?" Concern colored Obi-Wan's voice, but she was focused on that shape.

"He's wearing something. Some kind of clasp. I've seen this design somewhere before," -she traced the outline with a fingertip- "but I can't place it."

"Mmmm, familiar, Sidious may be to you," Yoda offered. "Perhaps met him before, you have?"

She shook her head. "Doubtful. I've felt his Darkness even through holoprojectors. No one can hide a Force presence that Dark."

A wave of doubt and worry swept through the room. "That was what we'd initially believed about the resurgence of the Sith." Windu seemed uncomfortable mentioning that. So the esteemed Jedi Council had refused to believe the Sith remained because it didn't fit into their comfort zone? Well, that was amusing. "Is there anything else you can tell us about this meeting? How long it lasted? Where it was? Even the smallest detail could be important."

_Do they think I'm a youngling?_

Obi-Wan didn't respond verbally, but he did raise his brows imploringly. _We just need to be absolutely sure of this, Asajj. You know I trust you with my life, but the others don't know you like I do._

_And no one ever will, my dear._

She felt him chuckle lightly through their bond. _I've no doubt of that._

With her mood tempered, she was able to answer Windu's questions without further incident. She told him everything she could, including the fact that she had only seen one vehicle instead of two; that meant that Sidious must have some kind of residence or base nearby if he traveled without even a speeder. Hearing her testimony aloud, she realized how little it was to go on. Obi-Wan may have believed her, but there were mitigating circumstances for that. For the others, well, they had no reason to trust a single thing she said.

When she was finished, the chamber was as silent as tomb. Even Skywalker remained quiet in his corner. Now they would either kill her for her past transgressions and use the information she had gathered, or turn her over to the Senate to stand trial and be executed. The only way out was if Obi-Wan did something stupid.

"Very concerning, this development is. To this warehouse, a squadron we will send. Investigate further, we will. Master Windu, lead this squadron, will you?" The Korun nodded. "Forward, we must look if an end to this conflict, we can bring."

The Jedi began to disperse. Holograms flickered out of view. Obi-Wan remained in his seat while Asajj stood standing on the rotunda. "Master Yoda," he said hurriedly. "What of Asa-Ventress?"

Skywalker hung back just outside the chamber door, a fact that didn't escape Asajj's notice. "Mmmm. Helpful you have been, Ventress. Very helpful indeed." His fathomless eyes locked onto hers. Asajj found herself unable to look away even if she wanted to. His gaze bored into her very soul until she felt completely exposed, with every thought, every flaw, every tiny thing about her on display. But his was not a critical gaze. Merely a searching one. For some reason she felt...safe under his scrutiny. "Leave the Temple, we cannot allow you. For your own safety as well as ours. But a prisoner, you are no longer." He waved his hand and the stun cuffs on her wrists fell to the floor. Asajj looked at them in disbelief. What was he up to? "Moved, you will be, to a new room. Not a cell. Agreeable, this is, yes?"

The shock was too much. She looked to Obi-Wan, who seemed just as surprised as she was. _What is going on?_ she thought. _Why would he do that?_

Obi-Wan shook his head almost imperceptibly. Almost. "An error I am making, think you, young Ventress?" Yoda chortled as he hefted himself from his seat. "Aware of your past I am. Of your distrust of the Jedi. Many of the old ways and old feelings, dying in this conflict, they are. Perhaps time it is to let certain ones die so others may be forged." The green Master turned to Obi-Wan, who still sat astonished by the decision. "Show young Ventress to her new accommodation, will you, Master Obi-Wan?" Without waiting for a reply, he hobbled out the door, past Skywalker, and let it slide shut behind him.

Left alone, Obi-Wan and Asajj could only look at each other. Although it was a far better option than being executed, it was still grossly unexpected. At the moment, neither cared too much of the reasons why. Glancing at the door, Obi-Wan stepped towards her and curled his fingers around hers. "Everything will work out, darling," he whispered with barely contained hope. "I promise."

Asajj lifted her other hand to his face, uncaring if anyone should see. "Don't make promises you can't keep, my dear. There's no guarantee they'll let me live after everything I've done."

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen. You have helped us more than you know." He covered her hand on his cheek with his and nuzzled her palm. "You saved me from Maul and Savage, you helped clear Ahsoka of terrorism and murder charges, and just now you've filled in another piece to this blasted puzzle. You are far too valuable to the Order now to be executed." He turned his head into her hand then and pressed a kiss to her skin. "You are far too valuable to _me_ to let that happen."

Despite still being a prisoner in the Jedi Temple and still not pardoned, Asajj's heart swelled with love and affection at his words. She didn't dare think of how far he might go to keep his promise, but for now it was enough to be reminded that she was loved wholly and unconditionally. She wanted to kiss him until he couldn't breathe for that. Instead she simply said, "Aren't you the one who always said to never let personal feelings override your judgment?" The soft smile on her lips and in her eyes kept the words from being accusatory.

Obi-Wan smiled back. "And who says they are? My feelings for you don't impede my ability to know what is right and wrong. And I'll have you know I'm an excellent judge of character." He started towards the door, her hand still in his. "I was right about you, wasn't I?"

Asajj rolled her eyes. "You are never going to let that go, are you."

"Never." A kiss to her knuckles and another smile and he dropped her hand. It was time to put the masks back on.


	20. Chapter 20

"It's not much," Obi-Wan said as the door slid open, "but it's better than that cell."

He wasn't kidding. Her apartment in the lower levels hadn't been much to look at either, but this room was easily less than half its size. She couldn't complain much, though. It had a window, a crisply-made bed, no debris on the floor, and no mold growing on the walls. There was even a small 'fresher attached, probably a way to keep her confined to the room so as not to upset any of the Temple residents unaware of her change in allegiance. It was indeed better than that storage closet her Jedi captors called a cell.

"I'll be honest," Obi-Wan continued, "I don't quite know what to make of Master Yo-"

Speaking became very difficult with Asajj's mouth suddenly devouring his. She gripped the back of his head and moved forward until the length of her body pushed his against the wall and held him there. A sound of approval reverberated from her throat when he began to kiss her back after his surprise had worn off. His hands molded to the curves of her hip and the back of her neck. She smiled against his neck when she released him to draw in air. His hands stayed where they were, though. "Now I feel better," she murmured.

His chest rumbled with a low laugh. "So do I." Rather than push her away, he wrapped his arms more tightly around her and breathed in her scent. "We'll have to be careful, though. It's one thing for you to steal into my chambers without anyone knowing-"

"Except Yoda, apparently."

Obi-Wan tensed for a moment, then relaxed when he realized she spoke without malice. "Except for Master Yoda. But your presence isn't a secret anymore. We can't be seen meeting like this."

"Like what?" A kiss to his neck and her hand sliding down to his chest added even more heat to her voice. "You're simply following your order to show me my new 'accommodations'. Right?" She pressed another kiss into the hollow behind his ear, grinning when the move earned her a slight tremor and a sharp inhale. "And it _is_ a bedroom, so..." Her lips parted and moved to take his earlobe between them...

The beep of a comlink cut through her (effective) seduction and brought reality crashing back around them. She growled irritably. He let out a heavy sigh, whether from relief or disappointment he wasn't entirely sure. Either way, he answered the incessant call. "Kenobi here."

"Obi-Wan." Skywalker's voice. Asajj growled again, into Obi-Wan's shoulder this time. "Can I speak to you for a moment? In private?"

"The brat has remarkable timing, doesn't he," she said before kissing his jaw.

Obi-Wan pretended not to hear. "Of course, Anakin. I'll be right there." He met Asajj's eyes and sighed to himself. How was he ever going to reconcile those two, or at least keep them civil? He loved them both deeply, more deeply than he probably should, but their mutual animosity would always be a thorn in his side if he couldn't ease that tension. For the moment, he simply let it be. "We'll figure all this out, beloved. I'm sure Master Yoda won't let any harm befall you."

She 'humph'd. "We'll see if you're still singing that tune when I'm put on trial. But thanks for trying." She quieted his protest with another kiss, this one slower, more controlled, but no less scintillating. "Go on, before he decides to come looking for you."

He reciprocated with a gentle press of his lips to her neck. "No matter what comes of all this," he whispered, "I'll always love you, Asajj."

* * *

Anakin stopped pacing when a knock sounded on his door. He didn't want to do this, but better to get it over with now than let it fester. The door slid open and Obi-Wan stepped inside. There was a definite anxiety emanating from the Master, but he kept it from showing on his face and in his posture. He didn't say a word; apparently he wanted Anakin to break to heaviness and speak first.

Anakin let out a sound between a huff and a sigh. "I've been thinking about what you told me last night, Master," he started carefully. "I'm no closer to understanding your..." Finding the right word wasn't as easy as he'd thought. "Your _choice_. I can't even begin to understand why you'd choose _that woman_ in the first place-"

Obi-Wan stepped forward, a hand raised in a pleading gesture. "I didn't choose her, Anakin," he said softly. "The Force did. I had no more control over it than she did." The way he said that made Anakin bristle; he still didn't think Ventress was as innocent in this as Obi-Wan made her out to be. But he kept quiet. "Besides, I don't think I was her first choice either."

Anakin tried to smile at his mentor's attempt at lightening the air. "I realize that this is more complicated than anyone would like, but I trust that you'll continue putting the Order first in all things. You always have. I have no right to pass judgment on you." _Oh, what a liar you are, Anakin._ "You've shown nothing but faith in me even when I've disappointed you" -he raised a hand to cut off Obi-Wan's protest- "and it's time that I return that faith." That hand lighted on the older man's shoulder in the age-old gesture of companionship and trust.

Obi-Wan's joy was a palpable thing through the Force, but the only outward sign of it was the relaxing of his shoulders and the smile that lit up his face. He clasped Anakin's shoulder in return. "That's...Thank you, Anakin. That's all I can ask. I know this is very difficult, especially after all my lectures about non-attachment and commitment to the Order..." He trailed off as if there was more he wanted to say but held back.

"You're my brother, Obi-Wan. I may not agree with this development, but I'm not going to hold it against you." He paused. Did he dare to think... He grinned instead. "Who knows. Maybe you'll start a revolution of sorts and lead the Council into rethinking its stance on the non-attachment order."

Obi-Wan's eyes hardened and his smile faltered. "Perhaps, but this bond between Asajj and I didn't come about for that. I can't speak for her, but I'm fully prepared to let her go should the Force demand it. I still believe in the Code and its view on attachment, and though it would be devastating for me, if the Force willed her to leave me for one reason or another, I would accept it and find a way to move on."

Anakin furrowed his brow. _You claim to be so in love with the witch, yet you would just accept it if she were to be taken from you?_ He didn't understand that thinking. Well, he did in theory, but being so in love with Padme himself he couldn't even bear the idea that she might die before him. It seemed to go against the very principle of love itself as he understood it.

But he didn't give voice to any of those feelings. To do so would only shatter the newly-won peace between them and push Obi-Wan further away. As hard as it was, he shoved them aside and offered a tight smile. "I understand, Master. I know you'll always do what's right."

Obi-Wan's smile returned. "I strive to, at least. Thank you." He turned and left, confident that all was well between them again.

And it was...for the most part. Anakin did trust Obi-Wan. It was Ventress he didn't trust, even after their stand-off outside the Council chamber. He would grit his teeth for Obi-Wan's sake, but he'd keep a sharp eye on the witch in case she decided to show her true colors. Despite Obi-Wan's reassurance of her change in allegiances, Anakin knew in his heart that once the Dark Side took hold of someone, there was no going back. It was a fear he lived with everyday, one that had begun to grow stronger ever since Ahsoka...

No. He wouldn't do this. Thinking about the day she walked away from the Order on top of everything happening with his mentor and oldest friend was too much. Taking a deep breath, he tried to put it all aside and focus back on the tide of the war. He needed his head on straight if he were to keep himself and his men alive through their next campaign.

* * *

Asajj had spent the hours after Obi-Wan's departure mulling over her change in scenery (and accessories, what with the stun cuffs no longer a part of her wardrobe). She'd only met Yoda once before, but Dooku had spoken of him sometimes. He had seemed both deceptively powerful and a little on the crazy side to her, a combination she had since learned to be wary of. She didn't know what she had been expecting when Yoda had observed her in the Council room, but it certainly wasn't to be given back some of her freedom.

She went over a mental checklist as dusk settled over the Temple, the low light filtering through her dimmed window to create an air of solemn serenity. Obi-Wan had told her Yoda knew of their relationship, had known since the first time she had crept into his quarters. And yet he hadn't divulged the affair to anyone; she would have seen it in the other Jedi's faces if he had. He had been the first one to speak after she told them all she could of the meeting between Dooku and Sidious in the Works, and in her favor, no less. Then he had revoked her status as a prisoner (although being confined to the Temple wasn't exactly her idea of freedom). He'd even given her an actual room to stay in instead of a cell.

She didn't dare presume anything about Yoda's intentions. Although the Jedi clearly deferred to him at the end of the day, his voice was not the only one on the Council. Whatever he had in mind for her was still a mystery.

Asajj had come to no conclusions by the time the last light of day disappeared behind the spacescrapers on the horizon. Frustrated, she lay back on the bed (after tossing the pillow to the floor) and tried to sleep.

It only worked for a little while.

The only sign that she had slept at all was the deepness of the shadows and the near-palpable sense of quiet when she opened her eyes. Something had forced her awake; not in a jarring, startling way, but gently, like a distant roll of thunder. Only there was no sound. No light. There was only a pull on her psyche that she did not recognize. Curious, she stepped out into the deserted hall. The pull had grown stronger the moment her door slid open.

Asajj followed the strange sensation through the Temple, unconcerned with being seen or getting lost; somehow she knew her way. It beckoned her to the lower levels of the ziggurat where the air was almost stale, as if no one had ventured there in several weeks or more. She found herself standing outside a door, both unmarked and unremarkable. But this was where she was meant to be.

The door opened soundlessly and she stepped inside. It was like walking into a jungle. Plants of all species she couldn't name crowded the room from wall to wall to ceiling. Dark, gloomy, and misty, the only light came from scattered artificial sources embedded in the ceiling, and even then it was only barely enough for her to see by. Moisture stuck to her skin the further she ventured, but she ignored it. She also ignored the odd odor that grew thicker with each step.

What felt like hours had passed when the urge to sit overwhelmed her. It wasn't fatigue, but a kind of force like double or triple gravity that drew her down to the floor. Time became irrelevant the longer she sat there. The plants themselves seemed to fall away until all that was left was soft light and thick shadows. A kind of peace formed around her...

...until a heavy footfall caught her attention.

Her eyes opened wider at the sound and a chill went down her spine. She knew that cadence, the weight of the body she felt coming towards her.

"Does the depth of your betrayal know no bounds, assassin?"

_Dooku._

* * *

Obi-Wan's eyes flew open as something snapped within his psyche. He'd tried to get a few hours of rest before taking on whatever mission the Council had for him next and had succeeded for a while. But then something happened. It felt as if a part of his soul had been cut away with a vibroblade. He instinctively reached out for Asajj though their bond only to find it silent and empty. _Beloved?_ What had happened? She wouldn't have closed herself off from him so suddenly and without provocation.

Forcing down his mounting panic, he went to her room. Empty. The only sign she'd been there at all was the pillow on the floor. No evidence of a struggle, thankfully. He knew such a thing was next to impossible here in the Temple, but that didn't stop the thought from surfacing. Now that he was certain no such disturbance had occurred, he decided to go to Yoda. It was late, but the Grand Master was his only hope of learning the truth.

Yoda's serene voice bidding him enter was a welcome comfort when he reached the Master's door. "I'm sorry to disturb you so late, Master," he said with an habitual bow, the senior Jedi sitting with his back to the door. "But I fear that something's wrong with Asajj. I cannot feel her, Master. Even when she was cross with me and cut herself off from me, I could always sense her." Yoda said nothing. "Our bond has strengthened since it first formed. The only way it can be this quiet is..." He couldn't finish the thought. It was too hard to even think about. "I've grown used to our signatures being intertwined, Master. Now, there's nothing. It's like...a void."

Finally, Yoda 'hmm'd, though he didn't turn to look at Obi-Wan. "Blocked you of her own will, Asajj Ventress has not. Yet wrong, nothing is."

Although he was used to Yoda speaking in riddles and metaphors after a lifetime of being around him, Obi-Wan remained no more enlightened than when he'd investigated Asajj's new room. "I don't understand. Something must be wrong, Why can't I sense her?"

"Caution, young Obi-Wan," Yoda said as he turned on his cushion. "Override your judgment, your concern for your bondmate will. Alive, she is. Deep in the Force, she is. Begun, her trial has."

* * *

"You disappoint me, Asajj. As one who once claimed such hatred for the Jedi, you certainly have changed your tune."

Asajj suppressed a shiver at the coldness that enveloped her at those words. "My hatred for them was...misguided." Her voice trembled, but she forced the words out anyway.

"They were the ones who abandoned your beloved Master to die on Rattatak, were they not?"

Dooku's voice began to circle her, like some great predator toying with its prey. "They didn't know Master Narec was alive. I understand that now."

"And so they are forgiven? And so easily?" She couldn't answer that. Dooku's presence continued to stalk around her, as cold, calm, and imposing as ever. "You are a failure. You were as my apprentice, and so you shall be as an ally to the Jedi." She flinched at the word 'ally'. No she wasn't. Her loyalty was to Obi-Wan, not the Order he served. "Your fear will always be your weakness. It will consume you until your mind devours itself."

"I'm not afraid."

"Then why am I here?"

Asajj stared ahead, her back ramrod straight. She had to consciously force her hands to relax from their painful clench. The realization was simple and sudden, as was the calm that washed over her. "You're not real."

"I'm real enough." His face was suddenly directly beside hers. She flinched again. "Where did this sudden love for the Jedi come from, I wonder?"

"I know the answer to that one." Another voice, another presence, this one even Darker than Dooku's materialized from the shadows to coalesce into a solid form. "It's not _love_ for the Jedi." He spat the word as if it were some vile thing that threatened to choke him. "It's love for _a_ Jedi."

Anakin Skywalker approached with all the ease and deadly grace of a sandcat. Her very soul trembled, her arms following suit. _He's not real,_ she reminded herself fiercely. _He's not real..._ Skywalker's eyes burned into hers as he crouched in front of her. But not familiar blue ice. These eyes were a hot yellow, sickly and filled with hate. "You've bewitched him, haven't you. That's the only explanation. As if he could ever love a harpy like you."

"Ah. Obi-Wan Kenobi," Dooku mused. "I should have known. Why else would you have allowed him to escape you so many times while in my service."

Skywalker stood and joined Dooku in his pacing, trapping Asajj at their center. "He's always been your weakness, Ventress. You never could leave him alone. So you concocted this revenge against him."

The voices weren't real. The words weren't true.

They _weren't_.

"You're wrong," she whispered shakily.

"You put a spell on him. Drugged him. And when you had him convinced that he _loved_ you, you pounced."

"That's not what happened-"

"A perfect revenge. Bring down the great Jedi not by force or violence, but tearing down his self-imposed repression. You made him _feel._ " Dooku sounded almost...proud. "I confess myself impressed." Once again his face lowered down to hers, whispering directly into her ear. "Rejoin me, Asajj. You will become my apprentice in earnest. I will train you in the ways of the Sith, and together we can destroy the Jedi, the Republic, even Darth Sidious himself."

Had she been told that months ago, she would have been sorely tempted to accept the offer. But that life was no longer what she truly desired. She opened her mouth to say as much, but Dooku's next words turned her tongue to lead and her throat to solid rock. "In exchange, I can ensure that Kenobi remains at your side forever. You'll never be alone again. I as your Master, Kenobi as your slave."

Whatever temptation there may have been was instantly shattered by those words. Obi-Wan was no one's property, certainly not hers. She had endured that kind of life before; never would she subject the man she loved to such a fate no matter what. If he was stolen from her by the war or some other means, her heart would surely break, but that would be her burden to bear if it came to pass. She would not dare to insult both him and their bond by enslaving him on the pretense of love.

She snapped her head up to lock her eyes with her former Master's. Gone was the weakness in her voice when she spoke, replaced with a strength that came from deep in her soul. "No."

He didn't seem surprised. He stood to tower over her, looking down at her with tangible contempt. "Still so weak. Skywalker is right: Kenobi could never truly love someone like you."

Skywalker stepped forward at the mention of his name. His voice dripped with venom. "You think a man, a _Jedi_ like Obi-Wan could ever look at you as something other than a pity case? He could _never_ love you, witch! _No one_ could ever love you. You don't _deserve to be loved!_ "

There is always a moment just before a disaster – a storm, a groundquake, the eruption of a volcano, the detonation of a bomb – when the universe falls away and all that remains is silence. In that eerie calm, all thought and sense of self vanishes. And in that eternal moment, everything becomes as clear as the crystalline lakes of Naboo or Alderaan.

That is where Asajj Ventress finds herself now. She is at the vortex of a singularity of absolute truth. And she smiles. "There are many things I don't deserve." She spoke more to herself than to the apparitions that continued circling her. In the vowels and consonants she found a reservoir of strength she'd almost forgotten existed in herself. "Master Narec's teachings. A second chance. My life. Obi-Wan." The sizzle of two lightsabers, one of blood, the other of ice, cut through the air. She didn't flinch, didn't even acknowledge them. "But I see the truth now." Red and blue energy descended towards her in lethal unison, but she felt no fear. There was not even a need for a weapon to fend them off.

The Force did it for her.

Asajj let all of her fear, hesitation, and doubt flow away as easily as rain down a window. The Force took their place, its light and comfort filling her from head to foot. One hand lifted of its own accord. Had the Force not been with her, two lightsabers would have cut through it effortlessly. As it was, the blades stopped a hair's breadth from her upturned palm. "There is one thing I do deserve, though." The Force pushed her arm up to fling Dooku and Skywalker from her. Her own newfound confidence pulled her to her feet. "I deserve...to be loved."

Those words were all she needed. That one thought, so simple, so basic, became her strength. Memories of Obi-Wan's smile, his gentle kisses, his tender touches were her resolve. She didn't even look at her opponents as she blocked them at every strike with nothing more than a wave of her hand. "I deserve love," she repeated; it was her mantra, her lifeline, her absolution. No one, not even Skywalker or Dooku could take that from her now.

The battle was over in seconds. Asajj hadn't moved one step. With one final push with the Force and a vehement declaration ("I. Deserve. Love!"), Dooku and Skywalker were gone. Her vision cleared. The fog that had settled on her mind lifted. She found herself once more in the artificial jungle. The minute odor she had smelled upon first entering the room was now more pungent. She needed air.

It was a struggle to lift her suddenly-heavy feet towards the door. With each step her exhaustion grew. She just had to make it out into the hall and she could sit down again.

The cool air that hit her face when the door opened was a welcome relief. She breathed deeply, feeling the half-musty oxygen fill her chest. Her psyche felt like a flower blooming after a long hibernation. Her feet turned to the left, back towards her room.

One step...

Another...

The wall was the only thing that kept her upright, but even then only for a moment. The last thought in her head before sweet blackness claimed her was so absurd she would have laughed if she'd had the physical strength: _The floor is actually pretty comfortable._

* * *

"What?" Obi-Wan's head snapped up at the odd thought that popped into his mind. Yoda cocked his wizened head at him but said nothing. "Asajj?" Obi-Wan's eyes brightened as he said her name, hurriedly making for the door as he latched onto her reappeared Force signature.

Yoda shook his head and stood with the aid of his gimer stick. "Always in such a rush, young ones are."

Obi-Wan followed his beloved's violet aura down into the bowels of the Temple. He noted absently that he'd never been this far under the main halls; he had no idea what lay down here. But that wasn't important right now. What was was the figure he saw as he rounded a corner.

Pale skin and a faint glint of blue from her earlobe were the only colors in the unexpected gloom. He knelt beside Asajj's still form, his panic ebbing when her pulse beat steadily under his fingers. Now that he was calm, he noticed the change in her Force signature. Rather than a slight tremble that had always accompanied the glowing strand, now it was steady. Serene. Peaceful. He'd never felt her so relaxed before.

Obi-Wan was so focused on his awe of the change in her that he failed to notice Yoda's approach.

The diminutive Master found him as he released a breath of relief and wonder from his chest, his knuckles brushing over Asajj's cheek. "Exhausted, she is," Yoda offered quietly. "But passed her trial, she has."

Obi-Wan turned wide eyes to his elder. "Trial? How do you know, Master?"

Yoda's ancient eyes crinkled at the edges, almost a smile. "Known me all your life, young Obi-Wan. Know these things, when do I not?"

Obi-Wan couldn't argue that. They both looked down at the sleeping Rattataki, different emotions swirling through them. "She should be seen by a healer."

"Not necessary, that is. Rest, all the healing she needs." Yoda lifted his endless gaze to Obi-Wan's. "All I need to see, I have." He turned away back the way they came before Obi-Wan could say a word. "Remain with her, you will, hmm? Alone, she should not be."

Obi-Wan continued to stare after the tiny Master even after he disappeared from view. _I'll never understand you, Master Yoda._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeeah. A lot of stuff going on here now ;)


	21. Chapter 21

The first thing she noticed was that something firm yet forgiving was under her. Very different from the floor she had sat down on. The second thing she noticed was the fact that she was smiling. Not broadly or mindlessly, but softly. Gently. A most curious sensation given her nature and her disposition for scowling. Then she remembered: she had won. She'd fought her deepest insecurities and most pervasive fears. And she had won.

Peace settled over her like a warm blanket. The feeling wasn't entirely unwelcome...but not entirely her own either.

Turning her head she felt her smile grow. "Why are you standing all the way over there, my love?"

Obi-Wan turned away from the narrow window with a loving smile, warm golden light enveloping him to make him seem more than human in that moment. "I was just thinking."

Asajj shifted on her bed, glad to find all of her limbs still worked like they should. "That's dangerous," she purred.

"I wanted to give you some space to recover. You've had quite an ordeal."

"Well, I think I've had enough recovery." One slender arm stretched out towards her lover and his warm hand grasped hers with that familiar gentle strength she had quickly grown to adore. "I'd like some company instead. "

Obi-Wan took the hint and sat on the bed. His eyes stayed on her hand as his thumb stroked her knuckles.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Almost dusk."

Asajj started. It had been night when she'd ventured down into the lower levels of the Temple. She had been out for that long? "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Obi-Wan smiled again, this time looking slightly chastened. "You needed rest, darling. Master Yoda explained that that room is home to plants that release hallucinogenic toxins. They prey on your fears and can drive some into madness." He risked a glance up at her, glad that curiosity instead of irritation was written on her lovely face. "Thankfully, you didn't succumb to that." He paused. "Would it be presumptuous of me to ask what happened?"

"Yes." Asajj grinned at his stricken expression. It was almost too easy sometimes. "But I'll show you anyway."

Closing her eyes, she opened her end of their Force bond and brought forth the memory of Dooku and Skywalker's taunts, how they had given voice to her worst fears and tried to make her drown in her own weaknesses. When she had found strength in her love for Obi-Wan and in his for her, she felt his pride through the Force as easily as a physical thing. When it was over, when she had given her last declaration that she did indeed deserve to be loved, he lifted her hand and placed a kiss on the palm.

"Oh, beloved," he breathed against her hand. He was so proud of her, so elated that she had faced down such Darkness on her own. To know that she had thought of him during her trial both honored and humbled him until he felt his heart might burst from joy. He had no words to express these feelings, but with the Force he didn't need them. The emotions flowed through their bond like water until their auras twined together into one glowing strand. It was a wondrous sight.

"There is one thing I don't understand, though," he confessed as he gently toyed with her earring. "Why Anakin? Dooku caused you so much pain, made you feel worthless when you failed, so his presence I understand. But why Anakin?"

"Because I fear him." Again, his head shot up, this time in genuine astonishment. "Don't look at me like that, darling. You know what he did to me in that cell." A chill went down her spine at the memory of his yellow eyes, both in her vision in the depths of the Temple and in her cell when he had used the Force to strangle her. _Sith eyes._ She shook her head clear of the image. "You love him deeply, so you don't see it."

Obi-Wan cupped her cheek with one hand, the other keeping a firm hold on hers. "See what?"

Asajj sat up, both of her hands clasping his in an effort to make him understand. "Obi-Wan, I know you love him, and he loves you. But there is Darkness in him that's struggling to surface." She released his hands to hold his head still when he began to shake it. "Listen to me. I'm not saying you should name him a Sith now and execute him, but you can't keep turning a blind eye to him. You saw what he did to me here. He electrocuted me in the Works before Boz Pity. And I'd bet my life that he's done similar things to others. You don't just turn that kind of rage on and off. Trust me on that. Whatever is going on with him, it's been building for a long time, and it's going to find a way out one way or another." She combed the tips of her fingers through the hair framing his face when his expression turned pensively troubled. "Look, you asked why I saw him down there, I answered. I do fear what Skywalker is capable of, and I don't fear lightly."

A sigh of relief slipped past her lips when Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around her as she leaned forward to rub her cheek against his. She knew he didn't like when she talked about Skywalker, especially when her words very rarely held little obvious contempt, so for him to pull her closer instead of pushing her away made her feel better. "Be careful of your Chosen One, my love. There's a reason why your Council doesn't trust him, and I'll be damned twice over before I let him use your love for him against you."

"Asajj-" Her gentle kiss silenced his protest. Now it was his turn to sigh, this time in mild frustration. He wasn't going to win this argument; he had a feeling he never would when it came to Anakin. Asajj's history with him was too muddled with hatred and mutual disdain to be so easily fixed.

Obi-Wan stopped thinking when Asajj's weight settled into his lap and her thighs locked around his waist. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and drew a guttural sound from him before he could stifle it. Heat flared where their bodies touched, culminating on their lips as Asajj continued to easily seduce him. That ability certainly wasn't fair, and he told her as much through their bond. She just grinned in response.

The knock on her door shattered the moment and made her growl into his mouth in annoyance. "Miss Ventress," a young voice called through the door. "Master Yoda wants to see you in the Council chamber."

Obi-Wan sighed dramatically against her lips when she pulled away. "Younglings always have such excellent timing." A string of words he didn't know (in all likelihood a Nightsister curse) spilled from her even as she twisted off his lap and back onto the bed. "Language, darling," he chuckled before bidding the youngling enter.

The child, just barely ten standard years old, halted at the sight of them. "Um, Master Kenobi. I-I didn't know you were here."

Obi-Wan felt a flash of embarrassment course through him, but Asajj wasn't nearly as concerned with how their position looked to a child. After all, they weren't even touching. "Did the great Yoda give a reason for his summons?"

The girl kept glancing between her and Obi-Wan. She was trying very hard to look impassive but failing miserably. "N-No, ma'am. But he wants to see you and Master Kenobi at once."

Obi-Wan blinked. "Me?"

"Yes, Master. He said it concerns both of you."

Asajj huffed. "Well then, we shouldn't keep him waiting. The old man might keel over before we even get there." She gave Obi-Wan an innocent look to counter his wide-eyed one. _Well, he_ is _ancient._

Obi-Wan shook his head once and turned to the young girl, still waiting by the door and looking progressively more uncomfortable with each passing second. He smiled kindly at her to try to curb her unease. "Thank you, young one. We will be there presently."

But she didn't leave. One hand gripped her elbow and rubbed; a nervous gesture, apparently. "Actually, Master Kenobi..." She looked away at Asajj's narrow gaze. "I-I'm meant to escort her there."

Asajj wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not. Was it simply a task given to a child to keep her busy? Was it because Yoda couldn't be bothered to come himself? Or was it because they wanted her to be paraded through the Temple like a criminal (which wouldn't have been very difficult to argue, if she were honest) by a child instead of someone with any actual power? The child had already said she wasn't expecting Obi-Wan to be with her.

Luckily for the girl, Obi-Wan spoke up first. "An important task for one so young, to be sure." _Please don't punish the girl for doing as she's told, darling._ Asajj blew out a breath through her nose but didn't say anything. "Lead the way."

Obi-Wan and Asajj both were careful to not stand too close to one another as they followed the youngling through the halls. Asajj kept her thumbs hooked in her belt to keep from instinctively reaching out for his hand; Obi-Wan kept his clasped behind his back. Despite how they may have looked to any passersby (a war criminal escorted by a child in front and a Master behind), she kept her head up high, just a hair beneath defiant. She refused to be a cowering prisoner.

Rather than go to Yoda's personal quarters, the girl led them to the Council chamber. Asajj strode in first without so much as a backwards glance at her escort. Obi-Wan stayed behind to once again thank the youngling, Serana was her name, for her service. He turned away and saw her out the corner of his eye trying to peek beyond the chamber door, but she didn't dare step forward. He suppressed a grin at her curiosity and stepped through the door.

To his mild surprise, Yoda was accompanied by Masters Windu, Unduli, Rancisis, Ti, Koon, and Mundi, the latter three who appeared by holographic projection. "Take your seat, Master Kenobi," Windu said, not an ounce of emotion in his voice or expression. What was going on? He didn't ask the question aloud, though. Instead, he shot a quick, reassuring glance at Asajj as he passed her and sat down. She remained standing.

"A trial you went through, young Ventress," Yoda said. She froze, but didn't flinch. Really, she shouldn't have been surprised by his seeming omnipotence anymore. "Deeply personal, extremely difficult it was, yes?"

Asajj resisted the urge to look towards Obi-Wan, who was just as stunned as she that Yoda even brought up the subject. She kept her eyes fixed on Yoda. What kind of game was this? He may have known about her and Obi-Wan being bonded through the Force (and more) and not shared that knowledge with his fellow Jedi, but that didn't mean she had to trust him. He wanted something from her, she was sure of it. Well, he would have to work for whatever it was. She kept her mouth shut.

Yoda seemed unperturbed, however. "Many fears you had. Much sorrow and doubt. Still have them, do you?"

Now she flinched. _Asajj? Are you alright?_

"Why won't you answer, Ventress?" Mundi asked, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Asajj kept staring at Yoda, trying to figure him out. He and Dooku had a lot in common in the way both of them could be annoyingly unreadable if they chose. "As you say," she began slowly. "It was personal. You'll forgive me if I don't trust any of you to share it."

Obi-Wan's presence in her mind and soul quickly turned comforting, an attempt to abate her temper before it rose. _Beloved, I don't know what's going on, but Master Yoda only wants to help._

_What happened in that room is private, Obi-Wan._

Yoda nodded once, his large eyes closing as if in acquiescence. "Fair enough," he said. "But tell me, still harbor your fears, do you? Or faced them and controlled them, did you?"

A simple enough question, one that didn't demand her to explain her experience in that artificial jungle. Perhaps she would allow that small relinquishment. "Yes. I believe I did."

Yoda made a small 'hmm' then turned to the other Jedi. "What say you, Masters? Sense a change in young Ventress, do you?"

The present Jedi turned focused eyes to Asajj. She was growing tired of being examined like a specimen, but the atmosphere was decidedly much less intimidating now than it had been during her previous visits. She would wait and see where the old Master was going with this before lashing out.

"There is still much anger present," the Thisspiasian commented, his face nearly unreadable beneath the shaggy hair, "but no more than can be expected."

_Duh._

"But less than when we first questioned her." Unduli this time, her deep blue eyes boring into Asajj. "Infinitely less than when Ahsoka and I fought her."

Windu observed her just as intensely, but something in his eyes... "I sense compassion." She blinked. "Barely there, hidden behind shields. Wouldn't you agree, Obi-Wan?"

Surprise flashed on Obi-Wan's face before he could stop it. He hid it quickly, however. "I do, Master Windu. But above all, I sense peace." He almost smiled at her, his pride in her still flowing through their bond. "A peace that goes deeper than possibly any of us knows."

_You're getting sentimental in your old age, Kenobi,_ she thought teasingly, simultaneously reminding him that he had an audience.

"True, this is?" Yoda looked at her with that same penetrating gaze he had used on her when she was still legally a prisoner. "Found peace, have you?"

Asajj finally broke her eyes away from his. The question surprised her, but even more peculiar was her reaction. As she had grown closer to Obi-Wan and he to her, she had found herself less inclined to react with violence in everyday situations. Although her temper had calmed over the months it was still there, of course. She wouldn't be _her_ without that fire, but now she controlled it rather than the other way around. Even before her secret lover had returned Ky Narec's lightsaber to her she had realized that the grief she had nurtured for most of her life had dulled. Like her temper, it was still present, but it no longer pained her to remember her first Master. Her life was still far from perfect, far from stable, but having Obi-Wan at her side both physically and metaphorically made it more than bearable. It made her happy and content. It made her...calm.

The smile that she had worn when she first woke after her trial now returned. She didn't care if the other Masters saw it now. It didn't mean anything to them the way it meant something to her. "Yes, Master," she found herself saying. "I am closer to peace now than I have ever been in my life." Her eyes started to lift to Obi-Wan, to let him know that she credited him with that achievement, but caught herself before she could turn her head. Instead, she returned his embrace through the Force and felt his warmth envelope her heart and mind.

"Hmmm..." That was the only sound in the chamber for a long moment. Yoda's fathomless eyes closed in contemplation, clawed hands folded over the top of his gimer stick. The other Masters made no attempt to draw him out of his thoughts.

Asajj's anxiety started to creep back in the longer the silence reigned. Usually she was good at reading people and knowing what to expect for them. But Yoda she still couldn't figure out. Undoubtedly powerful, highly respected, and certainly wise (even if Dooku had vehemently disagreed with his former Master's views of the Force). Beyond that, however, he was a complete mystery to her. Something as simple as a 'hmm' could mean any number of things. And given her history with both him and his Order, it may not have been an entirely good sign that he made that sound now.

But she was still alive. Despite the atrocities she had committed against the Jedi and their Republic and her carnal involvement with one of its most beloved Masters, she still had her head. She had a feeling it was only by Yoda's whim that she was still alive; any other Jedi, except Obi-Wan but especially Skywalker, could have killed her at any time and been completely justified. Yet they didn't. Yoda had to be behind that. But why? What did he want from her?

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Yoda opened his eyes. "Decided, it is then," he said simply, as if he'd been having a long discussion with someone.

The air in the chamber shifted immediately. "Master Yoda?" the projection of Shaak Ti asked. "What is decided?"

Asajj felt a combined nervousness rise from the Jedi. They had not been consulted in whatever decision Yoda was talking about? Curious. _What is going on?_

Obi-Wan was as much in the dark as the other Masters; only Mace seemed to be unaffected by such emotion. _I'm not su-_

"Many crimes you have committed in Dooku's service, young Ventress," Yoda continued suddenly. "Based in grief, this rage you had was, not evil. Escaped the pull of the Dark Side you have, perhaps with a little help." Obi-Wan tried to remain still at those words, but he felt his right hand twitch. He wasn't quite ready to admit just how far his relationship with Asajj had gone, let alone to most of the Council. Thankfully, Yoda didn't press the issue. "Very difficult it is to let go of the Dark Side. Very difficult." The tiny Master bowed his head towards his gimer stick, thoughtful once more. "Strange times, these are now. Friends become enemies. Enemies become allies." Asajj wished he would get to the point; her anxiety was about to overwhelm her with or without Obi-Wan's presence. "A special case, yours is. But lightly I do not make this offer." The very chamber seemed to hold its breath as he lifted his head once again, a hard determination etched into his wrinkled face. "Rejoin the Jedi Order you may, if accept it, you do."

The sun could have gone out in that moment and no one would have noticed. A Separatist fleet could have surrounded Coruscant and begun firing upon the city-planet and not a single Jedi in that room would have known until the Temple crumbled around them. Although shocked into silence and immobility, none were more surprised by Yoda's words than Asajj and Obi-Wan.

When the Masters broke out into objections, denials, and respectful demands for an explanation, the secret lovers conversed with each other through the privacy of their bond.

_What kind of trick is this?_ Asajj asked. _Has Yoda finally gone completely insane?_

Obi-Wan was decidedly more calm, but no less stunned. His voice in her head swirled with a plethora of emotions. _I-I don't know. I think he knows what he's doing, but...he wouldn't deceive you like this. He wouldn't deceive_ anyone _this way._

What surprised Asajj the most, after her initial shock dulled, was that she did not launch into a tirade of why she would never join an Order like the Jedi. In fact, she wasn't sure how she felt. She had finally accepted that her longstanding hatred of the Jedi had been misplaced when she had learned that they had not purposefully abandoned Ky Narec on Rattatak to die. But now it threatened to surge up again, an old mindset that had been so deeply ingrained into her brain that she may never fully rid herself of it.

She had once trained to be a Jedi like her beloved Master, had been the only thing that had kept her going in the warzone that was her home. It was her dream. That dream had been smashed when Ky was killed, and lost forever when her rage and grief had consumed her.

Or so she had long thought.

Her childhood dream was now sitting right in front of her, staring at her patiently with fathomless black eyes. Now the question was: did she want to reach out and take it?

_Obi-Wan...I don't know what to do._

She didn't even notice how ancient eyes set in a wizened green face had changed to compassionate, loving blue shining out from a face she had come to adore. A tiny smile lit up that face as she looked at him. _I don't either, my darling. But Master Yoda posed that offer to_ you. _I can't make the decision for you, but whatever you decide you know I will stand by you._ She found herself returning his smile, reassurance, comfort, and no shortage of love enveloping her very soul. _Do whatever you feel is right for you, not what you think someone else expects of you._

_You are absolutely no help, Kenobi_ , she thought affectionately. The way her violet aura wrapped around his brilliant blue one said the exact opposite, however.

"Enough." That one word, the power and authority behind it, silenced the heretofore highly vocal objections. But it did not come from Yoda.

Mace Windu leaned forward, elbows on his knees, to fix Asajj with a penetrating stare of his own. "As Master Yoda said, this offer is not made lightly, Ventress. Should you choose to accept it, you will face arguably the most difficult path of your life. Not only will you have to unlearn everything you have learned under Dooku, but you will have to strive to earn our trust. And let me be perfectly clear: I for one do _not_ trust easily."

"Master Yoda," the flickering blue image of Shaak Ti said gently, "are you sure it is wise to make such an offer?"

The Cerean, the one Asajj most assuredly did not like, concurred. "I agree. It is one thing to allow her to remain in the Temple, but to allow a Separatist into the Order-"

"Former Separatist, Master Mundi." Asajj started a bit at the sound of Obi-Wan's voice. He had already risked so much speaking in her favor through these long months, but now was an especially delicate time. "As you may recall, she renounced her allegiance to Dooku when he tried to execute her. Not to mention aiding me against Maul and Savage Opress, _and_ Ahsoka when we believed her responsible for Barriss's actions against the Order. It's not inconceivable for someone to realize their errors and wish to rectify them."

_I appreciate the vote of confidence, my dear,_ Asajj thought, _but I think my temper is beginning to rub off on you._

His tone was more calm when he replied, _Only when someone normally so thoughtful conveniently forgets key elements of certain things._

"That may be, Master Kenobi," Mundi continued, oblivious to the mental exchange, "but the fact still remains that someone of her age, and temperament, is ill-suited to the life of the Jedi. She remains too unpredictable."

Other Masters interjected their own opinions (Unduli and Rancisis surprisingly more forgiving than the others), much to Asajj's annoyance. Now that her shock had worn off, their voices were piercing her mind until she could barely think straight. She closed her eyes against the auditory onslaught and focused instead on feeding off of Obi-Wan's inner strength, which he gladly gave to her. Rather than allow their presences in the Force to overwhelm her own, she drew the Force around her to keep them out like a shield. It was the only way she could keep from saying or doing something she would regret.

A sharp tap brought silence down once again. Yoda readjusted his hands on his stick. "What say you, young Ventress? Wish to complete the training your first Master began, do you?"

All eyes turned to Asajj now, some more judgmental than others. They didn't matter. The only one that did had already promised his support no matter what. Could she really even consider rejoining an Order she had hated for so much of her life? She surprised even herself when she found her voice again. "This is...a big decision to make." She didn't notice the way Yoda's eyes crinkled at the corners just slightly. "May I have some time to consider my options?"

Where had this newfound respect some from? Perhaps knowing that she stood before Dooku's former Master brought it out, some tiny shred of connection she still felt towards the man despite his betrayal of her loyalty. Or maybe it was simply Yoda's subtly commanding presence. Whatever was the cause of it, she had to admit it did feel good to be in such a structured environment again. After so many months of not knowing what the next day might bring, she craved stability, and knowing that Yoda was the head of this hierarchy was almost comforting.

"A wise request," Yoda answered with a nod. "Make this offer in haste, I do not, nor decide in haste should you." A little hop that belied his age and he was walking towards the door, leaving behind still-stunned Masters and one very uncertain not-a-prisoner. "Await your decision, I will. But too old I am to wait too long," he finished with a chuckle.

_Well,_ Obi-Wan thought as the other Jedi began to disperse, sending looks Asajj's way as the ones not off-world passed her. _All things considered, that could have gone much worse._

Asajj didn't reply, but she did give him a small mental laugh. It was going to be a very long night.

* * *

**And here is where I get bombarded by hatemail because omg Yoda would NEVER offer that omfg!11!1! Hehehehe...**


	22. Chapter 22

**Ugh, this chapter took way longer than necessary. I'm still not 100% on it, but meh. I need to move on and finish this story because I'm antsy to get to the epilogue.**

* * *

To say that Asajj was flabbergasted was like saying Darth Sidious had a slight anger management issue. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. Every time she got close to putting them into some kind of order they would collapse and put her right back at square one.

Did Yoda really, truly think she would rejoin the Order? If so, what did he expect to get from her for it? What kind of agenda did he have to make such an offer? He had said that these were strange times, the same words she had said to Ahsoka Tano what seemed like a lifetime ago. Had they really gotten so bad that he would resort to trying to refill the Jedi's ranks with the likes of her? How did he know she wouldn't turn on them?

_Because of Obi-Wan._ True. He knew about their relationship, probably more than she was willing to contemplate. Perhaps he believed that their Force bond was enough to keep her in check should she return to her Darker inclinations. It was, along with the fierce love she felt for Obi-Wan, but how could Yoda be so certain? After all, it was the Jedi who firmly believed that once anyone fell to the Dark Side there was no going back. One of the many problems she had with the Order was its painfully simple view of the universe and its inhabitants. Just like the Force, people weren't divided into good and evil; there were those of all kinds in between. Good people sometimes did bad things, bad people did good things. All for different reasons. How could she be a part of an Order that refused to acknowledge such a basic truth?

Asajj sighed heavily, almost a growl, and dropped her head into her hands. She had been at this for hours now and was no closer to a solid decision than she'd been when she'd found her way back to her room. Obi-Wan had left her alone to give her some space to try to sort out her feelings on her own, but now she wished more than anything that he was there beside her. Being alone wasn't doing anything but making her second-guess herself and piss her off.

The knock on her door was the most welcome sound she'd heard all day. The moment he stepped inside she instantly felt better. When he took her hand and sat beside her she felt more calm. "How's it going?" he asked softly.

"It's not," she huffed.

"Perhaps it might be helpful to talk through it?"

Asajj sighed again and stretched out along the bed to lay her head in his lap. Obi-Wan smiled and didn't object. The touch of his fingers tracing the curve of her cheek and the tattoos on her skull was more soothing to her than a day at a luxury spa. "What's really frustrating is that I was so sure that I would hate the Jedi Order forever." She glanced up at his face and reached up to touch his chin. "Present company excluded."

Obi-Wan gently grasped her hand and leaned into her palm. "Well, there was a time when you thought the same about me, dearest."

"A lifetime ago, my love." She allowed herself a smile at the wave of love that washed over her then. "But it's one thing to have a change of heart about one person than about an entire group." She took her hand back and ran it over her face as her frustration returned.

"From you've told me," Obi-Wan ventured carefully, "Ky Narec had trained you well before his death."

"In combat, yes. Out of necessity. Rattatak wasn't an ideal environment for pursuing other studies. Every waking moment was spent fighting or running."

"And I know how you excel at both." He grinned down at her as he continued stroking her face.

"Funny."

Obi-Wan sobered quickly. "Would you like to continue your training, Asajj? You've had a long lull, true, but Master Yoda is offering you the chance to pick it back up again. Officially this time."

"Sounds like you're trying to sway me, Obi-Wan."

He offered an apologetic smile. "Not at all. I already told you I'll stand by you no matter what you decide. But I would be dishonest if I said I hope you don't take the chance to complete your training." In fact, he fervently hoped that she would accept it. But what he wanted was irrelevant. This was something she had to decide on her own.

Asajj knew that, too, all too well. Having a second opinion, or at least a sounding board for her thoughts, didn't hurt, though. They spent the next few hours going back and forth on every little thing she could think of. From the Order's views on the duality of the Force to its condemnation (in her words) of any emotion that inspired the least bit of passion, from the irony and difficulty of a former Dark-sider switching sides so drastically to the fact that not everyone would so readily believe anyone once in the thrall of the Dark Side could ever truly escape its pull, not a single topic was off-limits.

The faintest hint of light had just begun to color the sky when Asajj came to her final concern, one subconscious, last-ditch effort to convince Obi-Wan that she should walk away from Yoda's offer. She was exhausted, more mentally than physically, but she needed to cover every tiny detail before she would allow herself to sleep. "You know my age is going to come up," she whispered into her lover's neck from her new supine position beside him. "They'll try anything to keep me out if I accept."

Obi-Wan didn't hesitate. "The Council said the same thing about Anakin when Qui-Gon and I brought him here."

"Darling, I know you're trying to help," she groaned, "but stop comparing me to Skywalker. It's bad enough I already did that the other day. I don't need it now." Obi-Wan didn't reply, but he did tighten his arms around her and brush his lips across her forehead. "How many of your rules are they going to let Yoda break before they call him insane and put him in a cell of his own?"

Obi-Wan sighed. That was an issue he had been pondering himself. He'd always arrived at the same conclusion, however: "Master Yoda is too highly respected for that to happen. The Council may not always agree with him or even understand what goes on his head, but unless he does something drastic-"

"Like admit that he's known about us from the beginning and made no move to reprimand you or have me sent to the other side of the galaxy?"

He glanced down at her, a tiny self-deprecating grin on his lips. "Well, for example." He had tried not to think about that too much either. "What I mean is that once Yoda has his mind set on something, he'll allow others to have a dissenting opinion, but if he truly believes he's in the right nothing and no one will sway him. And he usually is right anyway."

Asajj shifted onto her elbow to look down at him. A frown of confusion turned the corners of her mouth down and formed a wrinkle on her brow. "So, if one day he declared the Jedi to be the real evil instead of the Sith, then everyone would eventually go along with it just because he said so?"

"Not at all. It's-" Obi-Wan struggled for the right words. It was difficult, to say the least, to try to explain Master Yoda to someone who had not spent a lifetime around him. "There's a certain...trust. Master Yoda does not always disclose his thoughts, or even his reasons for doing some things. But he never does anything without giving it ample thought. At least in my experience." He lifted a hand to her cheek and brushed the backs of his fingers over her skin. "For what it's worth, I think Master Yoda is right to offer you this opportunity."

A ghost of a smile softened her face as she turned her head into his now-upturned palm. "That still doesn't address the fact that I'm well past the indoctrination age."

"Believe me, beloved: your age will be the least of the Council's concerns should you accept." Asajj arched a single brow. "That...came out wrong."

"I know what you meant, my dear," she laughed. "I would think my body count is indeed more worrying than how many years I've got behind me." She sat up, crossing her legs, and leaned back against the wall. "I still don't know what to do, though."

Obi-Wan pushed himself up to kneel on the mattress in front of her. "You have time, Asajj. Sleep on it. There's no rush to make a decision." Although, he did wish more than anything that she would choose to accept. Ever since Yoda had extended the offer, he had imagined what it would be like to stand at her side in the field, to fight together in the open for peace and justice. He had to keep reminding himself that they were just daydreams. _For now._ "No matter what you decide to do, you will always have my support. And my love."

The smile she gave him at those words was both tired and thankful, drained and grateful. She would never admit it aloud, but that reassurance was something she hadn't known she'd needed but that she wouldn't trade for anything. She reached out and closed her slender fingers around his wrist, drawing his hand to her cheek. "When do you have to leave?" she asked quietly.

Obi-Wan was momentarily surprised by the change in subject. "In a few hours. Anakin and I are due in the Outer Rim. Again."

"Well, then..." A familiar spark lit in her pale eyes as she nuzzled his palm, just barely brushing her lips across the sensitive skin. She grinned at his sharp inhale; he knew what she was getting at. "I can think of a good way to kill a couple of hours, my dear."

Obi-Wan tried to think of anything but what that voice and those eyes promised. He really did. But Asajj had long ago found ways to slip under his guard and make him forget nearly every bit of his Jedi training. One was the way her hand drifted down his chest to his thigh, then upward. Another was how she gave the soft hollow behind his ear the barest suckle after pressing a kiss into the skin. One featherlight touch of her fingers to his jaw and he was done for.

Despite the relative urgency, they didn't rush except to divest themselves of the clothes that kept their skin from touching. Asajj directed his hands and his lips with deep sighs, gentle arches of her back, and the grip of her fingers. She tilted her head back when his mouth descended on her neck, letting out a throaty moan at the same time she lifted her knees to his hips. He paused for a beat as she caressed the lines she had carved into his back weeks ago. They were long healed, but the memory of the pain was still there. Not that he was complaining.

_It seems we've left our marks on each other in more ways than one,_ he told her lightly across their bond.

_Apparently so, my dear,_ she agreed with a chuckle and a gentle pass of her fingers through his hair. _But mine seem to have taken a leave of absence._ "Would you mind putting them back?" she finished aloud with a nip to his earlobe.

A shiver went down Obi-Wan's spine. Oh, she was good. "It would be my utmost pleasure, beloved," he managed to say.

True to his word, several dark spots dotted Asajj's skin when they were spent. They would become true bruises in the following hours after he'd gone. She looked forward to that. But right now she focused on simply enjoying the warmth of her lover half-lying on top of her. Her fingers traced the old scars she had put on his back, careful to avoid the new red streaks; those hadn't broken the skin, but they would be tender for a while. She smiled to herself at the thought.

"You should go," she whispered against his hair.

Obi-Wan didn't move. "Kicking me out already?"

"Don't want to give Skywalker a reason to come looking for you, my dear." He'd already seen them in a private moment once before; if he walked in on another one she was certain she'd kill him. And that wouldn't go over very well with her bondmate, nor with the Jedi she was now surrounded by.

"Mmm. Yes, I've no desire to give him another reason to hate me." Obi-Wan didn't rush in removing himself from her embrace. In fact, he drew it out as long as possible. Stars knew how long it would be before he had the chance to be enveloped in her arms again, to inhale her scent, to feel her heartbeat under his cheek. Another reason he was thankful for the strength of their bond; although they wouldn't be together physically, neither was ever truly without the other.

A few minutes later and Obi-Wan was dressed, much to Asajj's disappointment. She kept the feeling to herself, however. With a lingering kiss to her hand and forehead, her lover turned to the door. "Obi-Wan," she called softly. He looked back. "Thank you."

His brow furrowed. "For what?"

"Everything."

She didn't need to elaborate. Their bond rippled with every emotion she felt, including boundless gratitude and a calm contentment. Uncertainty was still there, but now greatly diminished. He sought to chase it away entirely when he went back for another kiss, this time to her lips. She was just as pliable and yielding as ever after their lovemaking, but no less passionate. Her teeth tugged at his lower lip when he pulled away. "I assure you," he whispered, "you don't need to thank me for anything, beloved."

Asajj traced a finger down the bridge of his nose. "Take it or leave it, it still needs saying, Kenobi." She gave him a smile borne of both physical and mental exhaustion. It was still a lovely sight. "Now get out there and send Dooku's droids back to him in pieces."

Obi-Wan left her with the promise that he intended to do just that and one last caress through their bond. As he walked through the halls, he wondered if she was truly any closer to making a choice about Yoda's offer. He didn't want to leave her to face such a difficult decision on her own, but he couldn't very well refuse a direct order from the Council or the Chancellor without raising a few suspicions. However it went, Asajj wasn't one to remain stuck in limbo for long. For better or worse, she would make up her mind soon enough. Of that he had no doubt.


	23. Chapter 23

Asajj woke just as the sun was beginning to set beneath the Coruscant skyline. Curiously, her mind was unburdened and clear, very much the opposite of what it had been when Obi-Wan had left. One mental recount of Yoda's offer was all she needed to realize she had made her decision. Perhaps she had just needed sleep after all rather than seemingly endless agonizing over every little detail (although she was nothing if not thorough). She climbed out of bed, located her clothes, and was out the door in under a minute. She had a verdict to deliver.

* * *

With a little assistance from the Force, she found the old Jedi in a walled courtyard. The setting sun painted the pale stone in shades of orange and red, shadows from the flowering trees now grown long and deformed. Yoda stood with his back to her amid a half-circle of small boulders. She called out his name, but he didn't budge. Rather than be annoyed at his apparent ignorance of her presence, Asajj felt only a sense of calm. That had to have been emanating from the Jedi or even from the Force itself; her own supply of patience was never deep to begin with.

She waited. And waited. Lights from neighboring spacescrapers and traffic lanes took over when the dusk deepened. Some windows in the Temple became illuminated by their occupants; others remained dark. Asajj opened her mouth again-

"Come here sometimes, I do," Yoda said suddenly. "Quiet it is. Peaceful. A good place to think."

"Same can be said for inside the Temple," Asajj countered.

A tentative smile creased Yoda's wizened face when he finally turned to her. "True, that is. But not the same."

She didn't want to even attempt to figure out what he meant by that right now. She had something important to say. "Look, I've been thinking about your offer-"

"Good! Good to think on such things before deciding."

Asajj gave him a look, but didn't comment on his interruption. "I've been thinking and I have a question for you."

Yoda hmm'd. "Expect that, I did."

"Just one: would you have extended it if you hadn't known about me and Obi-Wan?" She said it softly in case any ears were hidden nearby, but once they were out of her mouth the full weight of reality seemed to fall on her. She was engaging in a forbidden relationship with a man whom she had once detested on principle alone, a man she had come to love so fiercely, who stood to lose absolutely everything should the truth come to light.

Yoda's face became just as serious as her thoughts. His eyes lowered to her feet as he leaned onto his gimer stick. "Hmmm, a difficult question," he muttered, "with an answer just as difficult." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes; Asajj was glad he was at least taking her seriously. "When met we did, cloaked in the Dark Side, you were. Like a shroud you wore it." His fathomless gaze turned up to meet hers, rooting her to the spot. "Many grievous things did you do in service to the Sith. Terrible things. Out of pain did you commit such acts, not evil. Believed Master Kenobi I did when told us of your abandonment of the Dark Side on Boz Pity did he. Always sensed Light in you, he did. And trust his judgment I do."

Asajj crossed her arms. "That doesn't answer my question."

"When informed of your death on Boz Pity, sadness I felt. Believed that you could have been one of the Order's best, young Kenobi did. As did I." He fixed her with a crooked smile at her surprised expression. "If came to us on your own, and with genuine desire to rejoin the Order your Master had begun training you for, then yes. Asked you to return in full, I would have." A heavy pause settled between them. "Of course, in the minority I would have been," he chuckled as an afterthought.

That light mirth made Asajj smile, too. "Are you not in the minority as it is, Master Yoda?"

That got a true laugh out of him. "Quite right you are, young one. But more interesting it is to take the path less traveled."

Asajj turned into herself for a moment, let herself gently reach for Obi-Wan's steadily pulsing light in her mind; not enough that it would interrupt whatever he was doing at the moment, just so she could brace herself a bit more for what she was about to say. _One deep breath before the plunge..._

"Then I accept your offer, Master Yoda." She uncrossed her arms and bowed at the waist; it seemed like the appropriate thing to do given the gravity of the situation. "I would be honored to rejoin the Jedi Order."

"Why?"

She blinked and straightened. Well, that wasn't the response she was expecting. "What?"

Yoda's eyes didn't waver from hers. "Why accept?"

Was this a test? Ky Narec would sometimes play this game with her when she was a child; she didn't like it then, and she didn't like it now. "I gave you your answer-"

"But not your reason." The tiny Jedi put one clawed hand behind his back and began walking a circle around the rock formation. Asajj felt like she was being put on trial all over again...only this time her life wasn't on the line. "What feel you in your heart to accept this offer, one not made to another fallen from the Light?"

Asajj narrowed her eyes at him as he walked. Yes, this had to be a test. She straightened her shoulders and clasped her hands in front of her. "I am without a home, without a family...except for Obi-Wan, I suppose. I've walked alone in Darkness for too long. I feel it's time to come home."

"So, for him you make this decision?"

"No. For myself. Obi-Wan and I are bonded through the Force. Nothing will ever change that regardless of whether I rejoin the Jedi or not. And he's already assured me several times that I will have his support no matter what I decide. But..." She had to think for a long moment. Once, she had been good with using words to manipulate others, but she hadn't done that for a very long time. Now they seemed to fail her when she needed them most. "Look, I recognize that what I did in Dooku's service was wrong. Wrong and hateful and terrible. Nothing I can say or do will ever make up for that. Since I gave up my hold on the Dark Side, I fully feel the weight of my past actions."

"So, for penance? A way to undo the past?"

With great effort, Asajj reined in her irritation; she _really_ hated this game. "No. A way to try to do more good in the future than bad I've done in the past. I cannot change what has happened, but I can at least try to make sure it doesn't happen again to someone else. No one deserves to go through what I subjected countless beings to."

Yoda continued his stroll, but didn't immediately reply. Was that a good thing? Had she given him the answers he wanted? "And," he finally sighed, "none deserve to suffer the way _you_ did, young Ventress." He stopped in front of her, clawed hands clasped on top of his stick, and looked up at her with an inscrutable gaze. "Back into the Order, I welcome you."

Asajj watched him bow his head to her. Was that it? Was this game over? Now that she had made her decision and had it accepted, what was she supposed to do now? "T-Thank you, Master Yoda."

"Thank me yet, do not." That little laugh had returned to his voice as he said that. "A long road, a hard road you have to walk. Difficult it will be to unlearn all that you have learned. Even more difficult to earn the trust of the Jedi. Prepared for this, are you?"

Asajj took a deep breath. "I am."

Yoda smiled. "Good. Now, come." He hobbled past her back towards the Temple. Lights had begun to shine in the windows and doorways as night settled over this side of Coruscant. She followed him. "This meeting you saw between Dooku and Sidious. Investigated the warehouse, Master Windu did. Found no physical trace did he, but confirmed the presence of the Dark Side, he did."

"I could have told you that," Asajj grumbled. She had provided visual confirmation of Dooku and his Master, hadn't she? If the Jedi still doubted the evidence right in front of their eyes, maybe she should rethink her decision to rejoin them.

Yoda didn't comment. Instead, he said, "Unknown the identity of Sidious is to us still. But know what to look for in the Force, we do now. Monitor that area of the Works, we will. And recognized the clasp on his robe, you did. If seen again, recognize his identity, you can?"

"Perhaps. Like I said, I never met him face-to-face. And there could be hundreds of brooches identical to that one throughout the galaxy."

"Give up already, have you?" Yoda chuckled. "Not the Jedi way, that is. Your first lesson, this will be. Trust in yourself, trust in the Force." He stopped and pointed one clawed finger at her. "Deceived your eyes and mind can be. Doubt, insecurity, fear. Lead you astray from the truth, they will. Control them before they control you."

Asajj stayed rooted to the spot when he turned and began walking again. She shook her head. "You make it sound so easy," she muttered as she caught up to him.

"Easy, words are," he agreed. "Much more difficult actions are. Told you, I did, how hard your path will now be. But infinitely rewarding when you succeed."

That brought a smile to her face. He didn't say 'if'. He said ' _when_ '. No one other than Ky and Obi-Wan had ever had such faith in her. But a question surged forward in her mind, one she had not considered when pondering Yoda's initial offer. "Master Yoda, who will be my teacher now that I'm...?" She didn't quite know how to finish the thought.

"Mmmm, a good question, that is. A bond you already have with Master Obi-Wan." Asajj winced. She loved and respected Obi-Wan deeply, but she didn't like the thought of her lover becoming her teacher. "Complicate that further, we should not." A breath of relief left her lips and took her worry with it. "Teach you, I will."

She froze again. Yoda was throwing surprises at her left and right. No wonder even Obi-Wan couldn't figure him out. The enormity of those four words wasn't lost on her. The Grand Master of the Jedi Order was willing to take her as his student. Her former Master's Master was willing to teach her. "I...I would be honored, Master. But what will the Council say? Don't you have to consult them on such a decision?"

"Inform them, I will," he chuckled, "but ask permission to take on a Padawan, I do not have to. Rest, you should now. Prepare yourself for your lessons, you should. Begin at first light, we will."

"Yes...Master." She would never admit it, but it felt good to say that word in earnest again.

* * *

She was too wound up to sleep. She'd spent all afternoon asleep and now her life had taken a drastic turn, hopefully for the better. How could anyone sleep after that? She laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling, then sent a ripple across her Force bond with her lover. _Obi-Wan._

_Hello there, beloved_ , he replied instantly. His aura flashed into brilliant life and wrapped around hers; she could almost feel his arms around her.

_I've made my decision._ She felt him pause as if holding his breath. Truthfully, she felt her breath hitch just a bit, too. _I...accepted. I'm back in the Jedi Order._

There was a moment of utter silence that sent a pang through her heart before complete, all-consuming joy flooded their bond. It would have suffocated her if it had been a physical thing. _That's wonderful, Asajj! I'm so happy for you!_

_Really? I couldn't tell_ , she thought with a light laugh.

_Have you been assigned to a Master yet?_

Now she smirked. _Not really. More like he assigned himself to me._

She could feel the tiniest bit of confusion mixed in with her bondmate's delight and pride. _What do you mean? Who?_

_Yoda._ Obi-Wan's side of the bond went suddenly quiet. _Weird, right?_

_Well, yes, but probably not for the reason you're thinking._

Asajj turned onto her side. _How so?_

_Master Yoda hasn't taken on apprentice since Dooku. He never talked about it, but I always got the feeling that he blamed himself for Dooku's fall. At least partially._ She could very clearly picture Obi-Wan crossing his arms over his chest and lifting one hand to stroke his beard now. _It's very...curious that he would take on the task of your training. I've no doubt that Yoda is still a capable teacher; he continues to mentor younglings and Masters alike, after all. But I do wonder if some part of him believes that he can make up for his mistakes with Dooku._

_Wouldn't that be a good thing, though?_

Another caress through their bond sent a pleasant tingle down her spine. _I can't say for certain, dearest. I'm not certain anyone can understand what goes on in Master Yoda's head. I could be completely wrong in my assumption, however. But I do know this: he wouldn't have made the offer if he didn't see truly great potential in you._

Asajj smiled. _Well, let's just hope I don't screw up training again this time._ She didn't need to elaborate; after all, she'd told him everything about Ky Narec months ago.

_I know you won't, darling._

_Sometimes I wonder if you have too much faith in me to be healthy, Obi-Wan,_ she chuckled. _But I'll take what I can get._ She felt more than heard his responding laugh, like a low rumble in her chest. _I won't keep you, my love. I just thought you might want to hear the news first._

Another embrace with a wave of love. _I am truly happy for you, Asajj. I know you'll make wonderful progress by the time I see you again._

_Of course I will. I'm a fast learner,_ she thought with a playful grin. His presence faded from her mind like a warm lingering touch of hands.

She had no doubt the next day would bring all manner of headaches for her, not just due to her training. She was now in the company of the very people she had waged a personal vendetta against for most of her life. She'd even made a game of killing Jedi, keeping score and taunting her victims with the numbers before adding them to her count. The Jedi could preach about the absence of emotion all they wanted, but they were still sentient beings. Obi-Wan may have forgiven her for the atrocities of her past, but he was a special case. No one else knew her like he did; she trusted no one else but him. The rest of the Jedi...well, if they were even half as bad as Skywalker, she could be in for some very problematic days.

But...hadn't Yoda shown some measure of faith and trust in her? Hadn't he taken a very big risk in accepting her as his Padawan? Would that afford her some manner of protection from the rest of the Order?

Asajj shook her head. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on the what-ifs. So long as she wasn't expected to socialize with the other Jedi very much, then she could live with the isolation that was sure to come with her training. She neither needed nor wanted friends, let alone among the people she had once hated above all others. All she needed was a mission, something to do with her life that would make even the tiniest difference. And Obi-Wan, of course. That was enough for her.


End file.
